On Fri, 20 Feb 2004 02:12:08 GMT, "David E. Powell"
wrote:

It is called the USMC Designated Rifleman or Designated Marksman program,
IIRC. It issues M-14s (scoped I think) to some volunteers/highly skilled
shooters. To take on targets needing precision during small engagements to
compliment unit fire and designated scout/sniper teams. There was news about
it a while back.

IT's not being issued to infantry units per se, and last I heard the
DMR wasn't being issued to the sniper scout pairs eitehr (thought this
may still be on the cards). The only deployments I've heard of have
been to EOD teams spending their days plinking all the submunitions
scattered by 30 years of war around Afghanistan (and presumably Iraq
too though I've not heard confirmation). It's supposed to be good out
to about 700m.

Peter Kemp