The Instructor Training Group (ITG) of the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit (USAMU) is one of the Army’s most influential training assets. Based at Fort Benning, Georgia, the ITG delivers expert small-arms instruction to servicemembers across the force, ensuring marksmanship fundamentals, coaching skills and weapons proficiency remain at the highest possible standard.

Mission and Core Purpose The ITG’s mission is to increase small-arms lethality across the force by training servicemembers and developing instructors who can return to their units and elevate marksmanship programs. As part of USAMU’s broader training mission, the ITG provides:

• Mobile training teams that travel worldwide.

• Instructor development courses that teach Soldiers how to coach, evaluate and build sustainable marksmanship programs.

• Weapons-specific training aligned with Army doctrine and modernization efforts.

This dual focus—training shooters and training instructors—makes the ITG a force multiplier across the Army.

Training Methods and Curriculum ITG instruction blends data-driven training, doctrinal consistency and adaptable teaching methods. Training packages typically include:

• Baseline marksmanship assessments.

• Classroom instruction on preliminary marksmanship, ballistics, weapons familiarization, optics familiarization, shot analysis and coaching techniques.

• Hands-on weapons training with systems such as the M4, M17/M18 and emerging platforms like the M7/M8 rifle.

• Instructor development modules.

• Final evaluations measuring improvements in hit probability, consistency and proficiency.

The curriculum reinforces proven fundamentals while integrating modern optics, fire-control systems and Army lethality initiatives.

Verified Impact on Army Readiness Across its annual training cycle, the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit consistently delivers measurable improvements in small-arms proficiency—an impact strongly driven by the Instructor Training Group. On average, USAMU conducts about 80 training missions each year, providing advanced marksmanship instruction to more than 4,000 Soldiers.

One of the ITG’s greatest advantages—and a major selling point for commanders—is its ability to tailor every training mission to the unit’s specific needs. Commanders dictate the training intent, and ITG cadre build a customized program of instruction that focuses on the formation’s mission requirements, weapons systems and operational environment. Rather than selecting a preset course, units receive training built specifically around their mission parameters, ensuring relevance, efficiency and maximum lethality gains.

These tailored efforts produce significant, documented improvements in battlefield effectiveness. Servicemembers routinely achieve substantial increases in lethal-hit averages and overall marksmanship proficiency after completing an ITG training package, demonstrating the value of customized instruction delivered by expert cadre.

Together, these results highlight the ITG’s role as a critical contributor to Army readiness and small-arms modernization.

Reach Across the Army The ITG supports a wide range of Army organizations, including:

• Basic Combat Training and One Station Unit Training.

• ROTC Cadet Summer Training.

• Infantry and Armor Basic Officer Leader Courses.

• Maneuver Captain’s Career Course.

• National Guard and Reserve units.

• Partner-nation forces during joint training events.

• U.S. Army Forces Command (FORSCOM).

• U.S. Army Special Operations Command (USASOC).

ITG mobile training teams frequently travel to remote or resource-limited ranges, ensuring units across the Army receive expert instruction regardless of location.

Strategic Importance The Instructor Training Group is central to the Army’s long-term lethality strategy. By focusing on instructor development, the ITG ensures:

• Units maintain higher lethality long after training ends.

• Marksmanship doctrine remains standardized across the Army.

• New weapons and optics—such as the M7/M8 rifle and Next Generation Squad Weapon systems—are integrated effectively.

• Leaders at every level understand how to coach, evaluate and sustain marksmanship programs.

As small-arms proficiency becomes increasingly decisive in close combat, the ITG’s role is more vital than ever.

Contact The U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit’s Instructor Training Group can be reached at AMU-ITG@army.mil.

Story by LTC Michelle Lunato 

U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit

PICATINNY ARSENAL, NJ  –

Despite public speculation and online misinformation regarding the pistol’s safety, Project Manager Soldier Lethality (PM SL), the Department of War’s official lead for the Modular Handgun System (MHS), confirms that there has never been a mechanically-caused accidental discharge. All investigated incidents of alleged “uncommanded discharges” have been traced back to the trigger being pulled.

Rigorous Testing and Safety by Design

The MHS, comprised of the M17 (full-size) and M18 (compact) 9mm striker-fired pistols, is a thoroughly tested, safe, and reliable weapon system for the modern Warfighter. Since the first systems were fielded to the 101st Airborne Division in 2017, the MHS has replaced the legacy M9 and M11 pistols and is now in service with over 400,000 pistols across the U.S. Army, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Navy.

The MHS was designed with four internal safety mechanisms (primary sear notch, secondary sear notch, striker safety lock, and a disconnector safety mechanism) and features an external ambidextrous manual safety, bringing the total number of safety mechanisms to five.

Before fielding, the MHS underwent extensive Production Verification Testing, where over 200 pistols fired more than 1.5 million rounds. This testing regimen included evaluations for reliability, durability, accuracy, rough handling, drop safety, and performance in extreme environmental conditions. Early in this process, engineering changes were implemented to address and rectify all initial drop-test concerns, and these updates were applied to every  MHS pistol before it was fielded.

To ensure quality and safety during production, the government performs Lot Acceptance Testing (LAT) for each production lot. During LAT, Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) Quality Assurance Representatives (QARs) randomly selects a statistically significant number of samples from each production lot to undergo LAT. If any weapon fails LAT, the entire lot is rejected. All lots of weapons produced to date have passed LAT prior to being fielded to warfighters.

Investigating Field Incidents

When a potential uncommanded discharge is reported in the field, the Army follows a stringent investigation protocol to determine the cause. According to the Army Safety Management Information System 2.0 (ASMIS 2.0), reported firearms mishaps account for less than 0.006% of all MHS pistols issued.

When a report is filed within ASMIS, the weapon is promptly shipped to the contractor in the same configuration as it was when the incident occurred. Once the weapon arrives at the contractor’s facility, the Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM) Small/Medium Caliber Weapons Branch Chief is notified. DCMA will have the contractor open the box to verify the serial number.  After the serial number is verified, the weapon is escorted and secured under U.S. Government property control pending the investigator’s arrival. Once the investigator is present, the weapon is brought out of the property cage and the investigation begins.

The investigation process is meticulous:

1. Visual inspection of the weapon in its current state
2. Examination of the weapon to check all safeties, internal and external, are functioning correctly
3. The weapon is taken into the range where it is functionally tested with live ammunition.  At least 1 (One) 21 round magazine is used to verify proper function of all safeties.
4. After the range, the weapon is moved back to the armorer’s bench where the striker operation is thoroughly tested
5. Finally, the weapon is broken down to each individual part to ensure all the parts look normal.
6. After this, the weapon is cleaned and returned to the original unit.

To date, all investigated incidents of alleged “uncommanded discharges” have been traced back to the trigger being pulled, and not due to an issue with the firearm. Investigators have been unable to induce a discharge without disengaging the manual safety and pulling the trigger.

Joint Service Confidence

Most recently, a review of the MHS was initiated after the Air Force reported a potential “uncommanded discharge” involving the tragic loss of an Airman. As the lead for the MHS program, PM SL immediately engaged with our Air Force partners to assist in developing and implementing a Supplemental Inspection Criteria (SIC) as a precautionary action to investigate the incident and validate the weapon’s integrity.

The USAF’s SIC effort mandated a 100% inspection of the DAF’s “in-use” M18 inventory. It is confirmed that of the nearly 114,000 pistols inspected to date, none exhibited any conditions that could have led to an uncommanded discharge. 

PM SL is confident that the MHS pistol continues to meet and exceed that standard for the entire Joint Force. The DAF’s Director of Security Forces, Brig. Gen. Brian Filler, affirmed this, stating, “It can now be stated that the M18 is safe and reliable for DAF missions.”

By CPE Ground Army