By Melissa Buckley, Fort Leonard Wood Public Affairs Office
FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. (November 6, 2026) – With their lungs burning and sweat pouring, Fort Leonard Wood trainees traded the calm precision of static qualification for the chaos of high-stress shooting to hone lethal accuracy under physical duress during Week 6 of U.S. Army Basic Combat Training.
More than 100 recruits with Company A, 3rd Battalion, 10th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Chemical Brigade, spent hours on Fort Leonard Wood ranges Oct. 26 to 28, 2026, to qualify with their M4A1 carbines, proving they are disciplined combat-ready shooters who can dominate targets.
“Earning a marksmanship badge is special – it is the first badge that they are able to receive in the Army,” said Capt. Brittany Aikin, Company A commander. “Qualifying is a BCT milestone because it is a direct reflection of their individual performance outside of the Army Fitness Test.
“During White Phase, there is a shift in focus to individual performance, while teamwork is still important and applicable during this phase, no one is going to shoot for them, they must earn their marksmanship badge on their own.”
To Aikin, Week 6 is the most rewarding as it allows her to measure the lethal precision of the next generation of warfighters.
“Week 6 is my favorite week because we get to see how far along the trainees have come in their rifle marksmanship progression,” Aikin said. “I enjoy seeing how much the coaching and mentorship of the drill sergeants have paid off.”
On the range, every minute counts. She said her unit maximizes trainees’ time with drill sergeants – especially those requiring tailored coaching – with a focus on elevating every individual’s capability so the entire company achieves combat readiness.
“I want everyone to qualify because it is a graduation requirement, and I also believe that everyone is capable so long as they invest themselves,” Aikin said. “I want them to believe in themselves and be confident in their abilities so that when it comes time to perform, they know that they can execute.”
Company A delivered a clean sweep, with every trainee qualifying.
“I am proud of my trainees because they demonstrated grit, teamwork and a commitment to their individual Soldier tasks and skills with all of them qualifying as marksman or higher,” Aikin said.
Exhibiting superior discipline on the line, 39 trainees exceeded the marksman standard to qualify as sharpshooters and experts.
Pvt. Isaac Marble, with 2nd Platoon, secured the company’s Top Shot title by scoring 38 out of 40.
“He qualified expert on his first opportunity at the qualification range,” Aikin said.
Aikin presented Marble with a company coin during formation and plans to recognize him with a Top Shot Coin on family day later this month, allowing his visiting loved ones to share in the achievement.
Although experienced with firearms, Marble said he had never fired an M4A1 and credited his drill sergeants’ coaching with improving his marksmanship.
“They ran us through the drill so many times it became muscle memory. Their critiques helped me better my stance and steady my aim,” Marble said. “I never expected to be the top shot. I was just shooting for expert.”
Daily physical readiness training in Week 6 focused on military movement, shoulder stability and recovery drills.
Aikin noted how PRT is systematically tailored to prepare trainees for the physical demands of that day’s mission.
“Prior to conducting Battle March and Shoot they conducted hip stability drills to prepare them for the 4-mile movement into a stress shoot,” Aikin said.
During BMS training Oct. 27, 2026, FLW 30 and Range 2 became the site for the company’s latest trial by fire. Drill sergeants systematically stripped away their physical reserves with a rapid tactical ruck and high-intensity physical drills, immediately thrusting them onto the firing line.
With elevated heart rates and zero recovery time, exhausted recruits emptied two, 20-round magazines in under 60 seconds to prove their lethality under pressure.
Pvt. Alexander Suta, in BCT with Company A on his way to becoming a 15Y AH-64 Apache helicopter armament, electrical and avionic systems repairer, said he “learned a lot” from the BMS exercise.
“It is a totally different feeling than calmy grouping, zeroing and qualifying with my weapon. I shot 37 out of 40 yesterday while qualifying,” Suta said. “Today, my heart rate was up. I had to make sure I controlled my breathing and didn’t panic. It is all about being composed.”
Company A trainee, Pvt. Adam Stephen Malasits, in BCT to be an 88M motor transport operator, said his drill sergeants were “very descriptive” during marksmanship training, and he is thankful for their expertise before having to conduct the fast-paced BMS training.
“Our drill sergeants prepared us for what to expect,” Malasits said. “We didn’t have time to build up our sandbags, so my prone position was unsupported. My grouping wasn’t as tight under pressure. I learned that in combat I won’t have time to prepare, so I need to always be ready no matter the conditions.”
Week 6 took Company A’s discipline beyond the range as they supported installation clean-up by executing a precision policing action along Colorado Avenue, contended for superiority through precision drill and ceremonial execution, and forged unit cohesion during a company run.
“The Drill and Ceremony Competition is another streamer event where we grade the platoons on how well they can execute basic facing movements and marching in formation,” Aikin said. “We conducted a company run followed by awarding streamers and coins for outstanding performance.”
She awarded 1st Platoon with the Land Navigation Streamer for their performance on Oct. 14, 2026; 2nd Platoon received the Rifle Marksmanship Streamer for the highest overall rifle marksmanship scores in the company; and 3rd Platoon received the Battle March and Shoot Streamer for having the highest overall hits.
Week 6 marked the second official benchmark for trainees to validate their physical readiness via the Army Fitness Test.
“I am seeing a definite improvement in their AFT scores and their overall endurance in our formation movements. I think that they are getting stronger, and I’m excited for their families to see the change in them,” Aikin said.
More Week 6 photos are available to view on Fort Leonard Wood’s Flickr.
-30-
About Fort Leonard Wood
Fort Leonard Wood is a thriving and prosperous installation that has evolved from a small basic training post more than 75 years ago to a premier Army Center of Excellence that trains more than 80,000 military and civilians each year.
Fort Leonard Wood is home to the U.S Army Maneuver Support Center of Excellence and three U.S. Army schools: the U.S. Army Engineer School; U.S. Army Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear School; and the U.S. Army Military Police School. In addition to training engineer, CBRN and military police specialties for the Army, Fort Leonard Wood also provides gender-integrated in-processing and Basic Combat Training for new Soldiers.
Fort Leonard Wood also hosts and trains with the largest Marine Corps Detachment and Air Force Squadron on any Army installation as well as a large Navy construction detachment.
More information about Fort Leonard Wood is at: https://home.army.mil/wood/index.php/about/mission