Eastern Region JROTC Championships - The Army Marksmanship Unit’s air rifle range at Fort Benning, Georgia was filled to capacity with many of the best junior shooters in the country this past week. On 15-17 February, 275 JROTC cadets representing XX JROTC units from the Eastern part of the United States competed for honors in the Army, Marine Corps and Navy Eastern Region JROTC Air Rifle Championships.

Master Instructor Course Completed at CMP South - The largest CMP Military Rifle Master Instructor Course so far took place at CMP South in Anniston, Alabama on 10-11 February. 41 students from 13 states attended the two-day training course designed to train and certify Master Instructors to teach CMP-sanctioned Garand-Springfield-Military Rifle Clinics at their home clubs and ranges. Course students came from as far away as Colorado, Illinois, Louisiana, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Large student delegations represented the Aurora Sportsmen’s Club, Aurora, Illinois; the River Bend Gun Club, Roswell, Georgia and the Revolutionary War Veterans Association, Ramseur, North Carolina.

2007 National Matches Kick-Off - The 2007 National Matches will celebrate 100 years of National Matches at Camp Perry. On 8 February, in one of the first official acts involving this celebration, the Ohio National Guard’s Fort Ohio Commander, Colonel Jim Chisman, and the Director of Civilian Marksmanship, Gary Anderson, presented a banner recognizing this significant anniversary to the Board of Commissioners of Ottawa County, Ohio.

On-line Registration Now Open for the First Eastern CMP Games and Creedmoor Cup Matches - The Inaugural Eastern CMP Games and Creedmoor Cup Matches, which will take place at Camp Butner, North Carolina, on 5-13 May 2007, offer an exciting nine-day schedule of training and competition activities. All shooters, especially shooters who live in the eastern and southeastern parts of the U. S., are encouraged to make plans to attend the first east coast version of the Western Creedmoor Cup and CMP Games Matches. The matches will be at Camp Butner, North Carolina, a National Guard installation north of Durham, North Carolina. The North State Shooting Club, whose home range is at Camp Butner, will host the Matches. Creedmoor Sports Inc. will sponsor the Creedmoor Cup Matches and the CMP will sponsor the CMP Games Matches.

New Match Sanctioning Program for Junior Three-Position Air Rifle Events - Shooting clubs, JROTC organizations and other shooting sports organizations that sponsor three-position air rifle matches for juniors can now obtain National Three-Position Air Rifle Council sanctioning for them through the CMP. Match sanctioning offers a “seal of approval” to potential participants that a competition will be conducted according to high standards with nationally recognized rules.

2007 Camp Perry Open Marks a New Chapter for CMP - The Civilian Marksmanship Program supports three-position air rifle matches all across the country. Every year CMP personnel and equipment travel coast-to-coast for these junior events. So it may come as a surprise that a significant three-position air rifle match has never been conducted at Camp Perry, CMP North Headquarters near Port Clinton, Ohio, especially considering that for a century Camp Perry has been a Mecca for competitive shooters from all over the country who attend the annual National Rifle and Pistol Matches. This finally changed on 20 January 2007 with CMP’s first Camp Perry Open. This match was the beginning of what the CMP hopes will become an annual series of three-position air rifle matches at Camp Perry.

Some Like It Cold! ~ Muskegon “M1 for Vets” Match - While many in Michigan huddled in their homes to stay out of the bitter cold, a record number of shooters attended the Muskegon Pistol and Rifle Club’s first “M1 for Vets” match held on Saturday, December 9, 2006. Even a wind chill of 15 degrees did not deter the 30 dedicated shooters who wanted to be a part of this fantastic event. Some eager participants drove several hours just to be able to participate in the 30-round match. Temperatures may have been frigid, but the cloudless sky was a beautiful blue, and spirits were soaring.

CMP Board Officer invested as Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army - Harry A. Sieben was sworn in as Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army for Minnesota on October 27, 2006. Francis J. Harvey, Secretary of the Army, administered the oath, presented the CASA flag, and pinned the CASA pin on Mr. Sieben. Following the investiture Secretary Harvey hosted a luncheon in the Pentagon. in honor of the new CASA.