Why It's Going to Be Much Harder to Make Expert Under the Marines' New Rifle Qual Standard U.S. Marines assume the kneeling position before firing on static targets during the Table 2 course of fire at Wilcox Rifle Range, Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California, Sept. 20, 2018. (U.S. Marine Corps/Lance Cpl. Kerstin Roberts) 24 Feb 2021 U.S. Marines are known for their shooting ability, but marksmanship officials in the Corps expect to see expert rates plummet when troops begin attempting a new, combat-focused rifle qualification course this fall. As of Oct. 1, active-duty Marines will be required to qualify with the new Annual Rifle Qualification, or ARQ, a modernized course of fire crafted to replace the current Annual Rifle Training, or ART, qualification course, which has been used since the early 1900s.