The United States Marine Corps has ordered its officers (up to the rank of lieutenant colonel) and NCOs to carry the M4A1 carbine variant instead of the M9 Beretta pistol. This is in recognition that pistols are largely useless in current conflicts, and is in line with the Marine Corps phrase, "Every Marine a rifleman." United States Navy corpsmen will also be issued M4A1s instead of the M9, according to the Marine Corps Times.

The Marine Corps Times article goes on to say that changes will not be immediate, as personnel train up and deploy (who are priority for this changeover) they will be given the weapons. Many will carry both for a time.

No mention on whether weapons qualifications changes will be made. And, no mention of the article in the same Marine Corps Times a few months ago denigrating the M4 as unsuitable to replace an M-16 and it's lack of "knock-down power". Mmmm.