CMP Competitions Update - Two recent CMP activities highlight how the CMP’s shooting competition season is never really over. CMP staff finished conducting the 2007 Western CMP Games Matches at Phoenix on 23 October. Eight days later, on 31 October, the CMP was involved in the Fall National Matches Planning Conference where representatives of the NRA, Ohio National Guard, USAR, Army Marksmanship Unit and USMC Shooting Teams met to evaluate the 2007 National Matches and make plans for the 2008 National Matches. The CMP staff went from that meeting into meetings to finalize details for the 2008 JROTC Championships in February and March and the Eastern CMP Games Matches in May. The purpose of this article is to bring you up to date on recent developments that will be of interest to competitive shooters who participate in this continuous cycle of CMP Championships.

2007 Creedmoor Cup Matches - The 2007 Creedmoor Cup Matches and Clinic were held 24-28 October at the Ben Avery Shooting Facility which is located just north of Phoenix, AZ. This was a new location for the Creedmoor Cup, which is held in conjunction with the CMP Western Games. The Ben Avery Range has a long history of hosting major events including the 1970 World Shooting Championship and several National Championships. The range also has the distinction of being the largest public shooting facility in the country since the Arizona Game and Fish Department took over the operations of the complex. Camp Pendleton, CA hosted the event for the past four years, but the change of venue proved to be fortuitous because the wildfires ravaged southern California that same week and would have lead to the cancellation of the Matches.

Strapping In - By SPC Calvin Roberts - There are countless ways to set up a highpower rifle sling. However, there is no one way to properly assemble this crucial shooting tool. This article is not intended to walk you step by step through the “proper sling assembly process”. I am simply going to provide several tips and tricks to try out and keep in mind for your next trip to the range. The best way to learn the proper sling configuration is to talk with several experienced competitors and have them show you how they attach and use their sling. Then experiment with what you have seen to find out what works best for you.

Postal Round for the 2008 US Army Junior Open Air Rifle Championship Begins - The State Championship Postal Competition for the 2nd Annual US Army Junior Open Air Rifle Championships is now open for participants to begin ordering and submitting targets. The event consists of a Three-Position Air Rifle Match for the Sporter Air Rifle Class and an International Standing Air Rifle Match for the Precision Air Rifle Class. Teams and individuals have from 15 November 2007 until 15 March 2008 to enter the postal phase of the competition. This event is open to all school-age juniors, junior clubs, school teams, 4-H clubs, JROTC Units or other organizations with eligible junior members.

CMP Announces Two New Program Managers - Dana Bacak-Lynd was recently promoted to Program Manager at CMP.  Several of her new program responsibilities are related to juniors including Postal Match Administration, tracking Three-Position Air Rifle National Records, Junior EIC Points and sanctioning Three-Position Air Rifle Matches. All are key programs in CMP’s mission in the advancement of juniors in shooting sports.   There is also a new face to the CMP State Junior Directors program and it belongs to Vicki Donoho. While Donoho is a new CMP staff member, she is not new to the CMP. She has four years of experience as a counselor with the CMP Three-Position Air Rifle Summer Camps. She joins her husband, Brad Donoho, who was hired for the CMP Camp Riflery Manager position in July.

Physical Conditioning for Highpower Shooting - By SGT Walter E. Craig - In most sports, body conditioning is an absolute necessity. For example, the need to condition the body to improve strength or speed is obvious for sporting activities such as football, track, or swimming. Conversely, for most civilian highpower shooters, the need to condition the body to maximize shooting performance is generally not a priority. However, body conditioning is very critical to good shooting.

Friends of Camp Perry Supporting Shooters Memorial Plaza - Historic Camp Perry was established in 1906. The National Matches that were founded by an Act of Congress in 1903 were moved to Camp Perry in 1907. The Ohio National Guard post that is located just 5 miles west of Port Clinton, Ohio on State Highway 2 has been the home of the Matches ever since. Each year over six thousand competitors, family members and volunteers who support the Matches travel to Camp Perry to be part of this great  national shooting festival and series of national championships. Camp Perry has become hallowed ground to virtually all of these National Matches participants.

On the Long Road - At the Rapid City South Dakota Regional on 30 June 2007 William (Bill) E. Thompson Jr. earned final “leg” points for his Distinguished Pistol Shot Badge. What makes this news exceptional is that Bill was 80 years and 7 months old when he was awarded Distinguished Pistol Shot Badge #1403.

2007 Western CMP Games—From Too-Windy-to-Shoot to Perfect Weather - Wind was a dominating factor in the 2007 Western CMP Games that took place at the Ben Avery Shooting Facility north of Phoenix, Arizona on 20-23 October. The matches began with a clinic attended by over 70 new shooters on 20 October. When the 126 competitors who checked in for the first Garand, Springfield and Vintage Military Rifle Matches returned on Sunday morning, the overnight arrival of a strong high pressure system with sustained winds of 30 mph and gusts up to 60 mph forced the cancellation of the day’s matches. Two 30-shot events were fired on Monday when strong winds of 15-30 mph prevailed. Then on Tuesday, the final day of the Western Games Matches, the weather was absolutely gorgeous and the winds were dead calm.