Do You Have Guns or Shooting Memorabilia You No Longer Want? A Donation to CMP Can Give New Life to Old Shooting Equipment - A new CMP donations program could be just what you are looking for if you have guns, shooting equipment or shooting sports memorabilia that you no longer want or if you have shooting related items you would like to share with your fellow shooters, especially if you can receive a tax deduction for donating them.

A Book Review - Marksmanship in the U.S. Army: A History of Medals, Shooting Programs and Training, By William K. Emerson - There is a saying in the shooting industry, “Shooters don’t collect and collectors don’t shoot.” The means, supposedly, that true shooters are only interested in equipment that will help them hit their targets more accurately, while true collectors are not interested in shooting their guns because this could lessen their value. However, this is not entirely true. More and more, shooters are beginning to appreciate the history of their sport; many are becoming interested in researching and collecting memorabilia important to shooting’s past.

CMP North Staff Spreads Christmas to Local Air National Guard Squadron - Six members of the 200th Red Horse Squadron deployed to Southwest Asia on December 15th, while another 172 await deployment in January, 2005. Their mission will involve several engineering and construction projects for the U.S. forces and their allies. Upon receiving word that Red Horse members would deploy shortly before and after the holiday season, members of the Civilian Marksmanship Program staff decided to do something special for Squadron members and the families they will leave behind for at least six months.

2004 Gary Anderson Invitational - Colorado, Indiana, New York, Texas, and Wyoming were just a few of the places competitors traveled from to compete in this years Gary Anderson Invitational at Fort Benning, Georgia. Juniors, Collegiates, and their families traveled from all over the country to participate in the event which was held over two weekends, November 19-21 and December 3-5, 2004. Over those two weekends the GAI had more than 200 competitors, down 150 shooters from initial registration due to the Navy and Army JROTC stand-downs. Despite the smaller numbers the event was full of excitement and close matches.

For Whom the Bell Rings: CMP Employees Ring the Bell for Charity - Besides the Christmas carols piped into every store in the United States, the most common sound a shopper hears from Thanksgiving until the New Year is the sound of a Salvation Army bell ringer stationed in front of grocery stores, department stores, malls and discount stores. Follow the sound and you will see the bellringer and the ubiquitous red kettle. Each year, this Christmas tradition of giving is found throughout the country. For the second year, the CMP staff has participated in this program. On Friday, December 3rd, CMP North employees took turns as Salvation Army bell ringers to give a little back to the people less fortunate than themselves.

From Small Beginnings: Montgomery Bell Academy Rifle Classic Continues as a Shining Example in Youth Marksmanship - The Montgomery Bell Academy Rifle Classic began very much like the school that plays host to it each year. Both began small and have grown to become premier examples in their fields. The Montgomery Bell Academy can trace its roots to 1867. The Rifle Classic, traces its roots back to a much more recent 1995. Nevertheless, since that time, the MBA Rifle Classic has become the herald of the beginning of the scholastic shooting season and a shining example of how scholastic marksmanship competitions should be conducted.

New York Juniors Featured in National Television Broadcast on Sport Shooting - (ALBANY) New York’s champion junior rifle teams are featured on an upcoming nationally syndicated television show focused on teens. Teen Kid News (TKN) featured the New York teens in an effort to show how high-powered rifles are often used in sport.

New High School JROTC Range Has Electronic Targets - Enterprise High School in Enterprise, Alabama has become the first public school in the nation to have electronic air rifle target systems installed in their Army JROTC air rifle range.