If too much time passes between initial and sustainment training periods, or if the established training doctrine is altered, skills will be seriously eroded and complete retraining may be required. The training strategy for the MK 19 begins with leader training and continues with unit training. An example of this overall process is found in Appendix D . Because MK 19 Gunner is a skill level 2 position, personnel will be trained primarily within the unit. There is no training planned for IET soldiers in this system.
Training continues in units where basic gunnery skills are taught and gunners are qualified.
Once individual and crew skills are learned, these skills must be sustained in the unit. To accomplish this, leaders must follow the annual gunnery training program outlined in Appendix D . In addition to the sustainment of skills, the unit must incorporate the system into collective training exercises such as platoon and squad live-fire STXs. The strategy for sustaining basic MK 19 gunnery skills includes annual or semiannual instructional and qualification range firing. However, the unit must set up a year-round program to be able to accomplish sustainment.