MARINE CORPS AIR STATION MIRAMAR, Calif -- At any Marine Corps rifle range in the world there is one thing Marines can count on seeing every time; the pith helmets of Marine Corps rifle range coaches.The duty of a range coach is straightforward: Assist the Marines under their respective tutelage to attain the best score possible by learning and maintaining the basics of Marine Corps marksmanship.With long hours, no set lunch break schedule and working weekends, the coaches are dedicated to what they do for the Marines and the Marine Corps.“I love teaching the Marines here,” said Lance Cpl. Charles Valadez, a marksmanship coach, with Marksmanship Training Unit, Marine Corps Air Station Miramar. The prerequisites for being chosen to be a range coach are similar to being a recruiter or drill instructor in the Marine Corps. The Marine cannot have any personal problems with weight, finances, pending non-judicial punishments and needs to be reliable. No certain rifle range score is needed.“Rifle scores can always be improved, but any problems with our coaches mean we will not be able to facilitate as many shooters,” said Gunnery Sgt. James Stucker, the range staff noncommissioned officer in charge, MCAS Miramar. “We need reliable Marines who will be dedicated to this job for the entire year they are attached to us.”In order to wear the coveted pith helmet and train Marines, the prospective coaches must complete a four-week course at Edson Range on Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton.The course is comprised of rifle and pistol qualification, learning to instruct the material taught at the course and a final exam. If either of the qualifications or the final exam is failed, the Marine is dropped. With a 30 percent attrition rate, many wannabe coaches never make it.“This school is one of the hardest I’ve ever been to,” said Sgt. Steven Bullock, an administrative clerk with MTU. “A lot of the failures are due to failing to answer a question verbatim the way it was taught.”Toward the course’s end, the coaches practice their new found skills with recruits.“When the coaches work with the recruits they are watched by the Edson Range coaches,” Stucker said. “This way, none of the recruits feel ‘short-changed’ by getting a newer coach to help them.”When looking at a range coach’s backpack or fold out stool, Marines may notice different rank insignias ranging from enlisted to officers.“It’s a tradition that if your range coach helps you shoot expert or improve your score you give them one of your rank insignias,” said Valadez.It is no secret that when it comes to any training or activity sponsored by the Marine Corps, safety is one of the biggest concerns and priorities. Another of the range coach’s main duties is to ensure the safe conditions of the range and shooters at all times. There is also a range safety officer and corpsman present any time there is a shooter on the range.“The biggest safety violations are from Marines and their lack of muzzle awareness,” Stucker said. “When the Marines have rounds, it’s not usually a problem because they pay more attention, but when they don’t have rounds they get lackadaisical, and that is unacceptable.”Because every Marine is a rifleman, it is a requirement for Marines to qualify yearly on the rifle range. Staying familiar with the M-16A2 service rifle is an important way to keep the “tip of the spear” sharp, Stucker explained.“Some of the best marksmanship training these Marines will receive is from the Marine Corps,” Stucker said. “I’m proud to be a part of a range that gives the best training. I’m proud of all of my coaches; they are the best at what they do.”