NPS NRP Executive Summary
Report Type: Final Report
Project Summary: The Modular Advanced Technology-Marksmanship Proficiency Toolkit (MAT-MP) is a newly developed prototype to address the need for a Rapid Assessment Marksmanship System. The Marine Corps Training and Education Command (TECOM) tasked the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) with evaluating the effectiveness of the MAT-MP as a marksmanship-coaching tool. Specifically, TECOM wants to know if use of the MAT-MP (1) reduces the number of qualification attempts needed to pass and (2) improves qualification scores of troubled shooters (those who fail the first qualification). This evaluation was a joint effort between Weapons and Field Training Battalion, Parris Island (WFTBn- PI) and NPS. With input from WFTBn-PI, NPS designed the evaluation and specified the data collection procedures. NPS also provided training on data collection, transmission, and storage; conducted data analysis and provided this final report. WFTBn-PI provided trained personnel to collect and handle the data. The NPS and Marine Corps IRB determined this evaluation did not meet the criteria for human subject’s research. The evaluation is based on data from 67 qualification attempts: 32 attempts from 25 troubled recruits who received regular coaching during the 2nd and greater qualification attempts (control group) and 35 attempts from 22 troubled recruits whose coaches used the MAT-MP during the 2nd and greater qualification attempts (MAT-MP group). Results indicated that the MAT-MP group showed significantly greater improvement in overall qualification scores from initial attempt to final attempt than the control group, but required more attempts to pass. These results may be due to the MAT-MP group being more troubled (i.e., having significantly poorer initial qualification scores) than the control group. Results are not explainable by differences in coaching experience between the MAT-MP coaches and the control coaches.
MCCDC
NPS-18-M145-A
Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.