Civilian
manship
Marks
rogram
P
T
he Civilian Marksmanship Program
has opened its doors to public use,
offering full use of their air rifle
shooting ranges every Tuesday from 4-7
p.m.
According to Chief Operating Officer Orest
Michaels, the program began in 1903 by
order of then-President Teddy Roosevelt,
who found that the soldiers in his command
during the Spanish-American War lacked
marksmanship skill that met his standards.
“He created the program so if there was a
draft, there would be people out there who
40
already knew how to use service rifles,” said
Michaels.
The modern organization isn’t quite so
caught up in war concerns, though it still
emphasizes marksmanship and firearm
safety for American youth.
Members of the public are invited to practice
their air rifle skills at the Anniston facility,
where they can fire down 10-meter lanes
equipped with electronic targets that can
pinpoint accuracy down to the width of the
head of a pencil, says Michaels, highlighted
by monitors above the ranges that show
August 2014
INSIGHT