The overall winners of the Eastern CMP Games included Robert Noel (left, Vintage Military Rifle), Douglas Armstrong (middle, Garand Match) and Sean Leighton (right, Springfield Match).

Over 170 competitors from 22 states traveled to North Carolina for the Inaugural Eastern CMP Games. The Eastern CMP Games, held in conjunction with the Eastern Creedmoor Cup Matches, took place 5-8 May at Camp Butner, a National Guard Base located in Butner, North Carolina. The North State Shooting Club (http://www.northstateshootingclub.com) and the North Carolina Army National Guard hosted the events.

The CMP Games Events began with a free Garand-Springfield-Military Rifle Clinic which introduced many new shooters to the CMP Games. Despite the cool, rainy mist over 100 shooters attended the clinic and took advantage of the knowledge offered by Dick Whiting, a CMP GSM Master Instructor and lead instructor in the CMP National Matches clinics. Clinic participants gained valuable information to prepare them for the following days matches. In the clinic, shooters learned each of the shooting positions, how to use the sling, the course of fire and match procedures. Clinic participants then received hands-on coaching and instruction from experienced shooters during dry firing sessions.

The CMP Games matches continued on Sunday and Monday with Garand, Springfield and Vintage Military Rifle Matches. Competitors could fire in any one of the matches either day or shoot the same match each day. At the end of each days matches, medals were awarded to shooters who fired CMP Games Achievement Award Cut Scores. At the conclusion of Sunday’s match, the CMP provided a BBQ for all competitors and the first day’s Achievement Medals were presented.

A special presentation was also made on Sunday. JJ O’Shea, founder of the “M1 for Vets Program”, and Gunnery Sergeant Ken Barnes made presented an M1 Garand rifle to Lance Corporal Zach Fincannon, USMC(R). Fincannon sustained injuries while serving with the Echo Company, 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines in Fallujah. Gunny Barnes brought three other Marines from the Wounded Marines Barracks at Camp LeJuene to shoot in the Eastern CMP Game Events. One of them, Tim Labonvill, USMC, won a bronze medal in the Garand match with a score of 263. Tim sustained wounds to his left arm in Iraq, but persevered under some pain during the matches. The "M1 for Vets" project began in December of 2005 and as of today, has presented 91 rifles to veterans who were wounded in the Global War on Terror. Most have been from M1's purchased from CMP with donated funds, some were donated as complete rifles; 12 purchased from funds raised gun club benefit matches.

The CMP Sales staff from Anniston, Alabama also attended the Eastern CMP Games and brought a truckload of ammo, stock sets and rifles including Kimber .22 cal rifles and M1 Carbines. Many competitors were anxious to inspect and tag the Carbines after the day’s match was complete especially considering that due to the amount of mail orders the CMP has received, it will only accept orders for M1 Carbine Inlands through 18 May.

In the Vintage Military Rifle Match, Robert Noel of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, fired the top score of 283-4X with a Swiss K-31 rifle. David Spearing, of Skaneateles, NY, who placed sixth overall, was the High Senior with a 264-3X. He also fired a Swiss K-31 straight-pull rifle.

Sean Leighton, a Distinguished Rifleman from Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, fired a 281-8X in the Springfield Match. Leighton, a member of the Zen Shooting Team LLC, also won the National Springfield Match at Camp Perry last year. Another Distinguished Rifleman, PV2 John Beall, ARNG, of Concord, North Carolina, placed third overall and was the top junior with a 280-3X. The High Senior plaque was awarded to Phillip Randall, of Ceresco, MI.

Douglas Armstrong of Lexington, North Carolina, fired the top Garand score of 281-7X. Beall finished 13th overall with a 267-4X and was the top junior shooter. Jan Hill, of Lakewood, Ohio, also a Distinguished Rifleman, finished 14th (265-7X) to win the Top Senior Plaque.

On Tuesday, competitors fired a special M1 Garand EIC match where the top 10% of the Non-Distinguished competitors earned EIC “leg” points. Chad Bruske, of Fraser, Michigan was the top Non-Distinguished competitor. He fired a 366-5X. A total of 55 Non-Distinguished competitors fired in the EIC match and five “introductory” 4-point legs were awarded to Bruske, James Crofts, Richard Norman, Lyle Drenth and Owen Peters.

Full results and pictures from the Games Events can be viewed at http://clubs.odcmp.com/cgi-bin/report_matchResult.cgi?matchID=1841. The Western CMP Games will be held at Camp Pendleton, California, on 12-16 October. The Official Match Program and on-line registration will be available on the CMP web site later this month. Be sure to mark your calendars for the 2008 Eastern CMP Games at Camp Butner, North Carolina, on 3-6 May.