I did my NBP training in the mid '90s, and it was, um, less than impressive. This was before the MP-5 was even issued. I ended up getting a manufacturer MP-5 course in Boston, and was one of 6 sailors on the East Coast qualified before most of the Boatswains were.
I've seen a dramatic improvement in the level of training of boarding parties since then, but there is still a ways to go (IMHO).
Some of the issues I have is the non-standard weapons drill.....when handling a C-7, the order to "MAKE SAFE" means to drop the magazine out, do the unload drill, then re-insert the magazine (load). This proves that your weapon, though having a full magazine applied, has no round in the chamber and thus is "Safe". The boarding parties don't do things that way....and the awareness of muzzle control is, um, less than stellar in some circumstances. Sweeping your "buddies" isn't a good thing when doing an entry to the bridge.
I think some of that comes down to familiarity with the equipment, and the fact that the NBP on a ship that's not doing regular boarding ops is not handling their weapons on a daily basis, heck, sometimes not even on a monthly basis!
Things have gotten a lot better as compared to the first "boarding" I saw when I was on the Gatineau....but there's still room for improvement.
One advantage our boarding parties have is the diversity of personnel/trades. That's something that other navies have taken a close look at (reference to a Naval Review magazine a couple of years back) Our NBP has the ability to act as a "Prize Crew" with members from each trade necessary to sail a ship onboard, including a BWK and Certified stoker. There's an ET, signalman, bosun's, etc. We have a capability that other navies are seeking to emulate. It's something that hasn't been lost through the changes that have been made over the years to improve the NBPs.
NavyShooter