The increasing use of weaponized drones, particularly first-person-view (FPV) kamikaze models and other man-portable precision munitions, may prompt a re-evaluation of the U.S. Marine Corps’ renowned mantra, “every Marine a rifleman.” The remarks came from Lieutenant General Benjamin Watson, who leads the Marine Corps Training and Education Command (TECOM), when speaking at the Navy League’s Sea Air Space 2025 exhibition earlier this month.

“One of our culturally significant mantras is ‘every Marine [a] rifleman,’” Watson stated, emphasizing the traditional role of Marines as precision shooters capable of engaging targets up to 500 meters. However, he noted that advancements in technology now mean that the “same Marine can be just as lethal at ranges out to 15 to 20 kilometers and beyond.”