How Has the Civilian Marksmanship Program Benefited the Community?

Editor’s Note: This article was sent to us by Kyle Phillips, an eight grader at Stockbridge Middle School in Stockbridge, Georgia. We at the CMP applaud Kyle’s interest in scholarship and research on the CMP. Through grassroots efforts such as Kyle’s, word about the CMP and its mission is being spread in many unexpected ways. Thank you Kyle for your interest in the CMP and helping to tell others about our efforts to promote youth marksmanship and firearms safety throughout the United States!

Kyle Phillips is an eighth grader at Stockbridge Middle School in Stockbridge, Georgia. Kyle recently completed a school project in which he studied and reported on the benefits the CMP has on the community. The First Shot salutes Kyle for his research on the CMP. Not only did he learn more about the CMP and its mission, but he helped to inform his classmates about firearms safety and the shooting sports.

The Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) was established in 1903; it promotes firearms safety training and rifle practice for all U.S. citizens with a special emphasis on youth. From 1916 until 1996 the U.S. Army administered the CMP. The National Defense created the Corporation for the Promotion of Rifle Practice and Firearms Safety, Inc. to take over the Civilian Marksmanship Program. The board was appointed by the Secretary of the Army and is responsible for developing procedures that carry out all aspects of the Civilian Marksmanship Program. The Civilian Marksmanship Program is combined with many different gun clubs in the U.S. Congress wanted to create a club that would teach more people how to be better shots for the military because more people were coming into the military and didn’t know how to shoot. All of the profits of the CMP go to promoting marksmanship for American youth through programs such as scholarships for JROTC members and targets, air rifles, and anything affiliated with the Civilian Marksmanship Program.

The Civilian Marksmanship Program gives scholarships to members of the Army, Navy, or Marine JROTC. The requirements for getting a scholarship from the Civilian Marksmanship Program include being a high school senior in Army, Navy or Marine Corps JROTC or a college underclassman who is enrolled in ROTC and who participates in marksmanship. Scholarships may be renewed if one continues to meet the criteria, including the requirement to excel in rifle marksmanship. He/she must also have excellent academics and a minimum 2.5 GPA. To receive the scholarship, one must enroll in ROTC at a college or university during the year he/she wishes to receive the scholarship. Applicants must show strong leadership abilities and the potential to be officers in the U. S. military. Also they must be excellent in rifle marksmanship as members of school, college, JROTC or ROTC rifle teams. Letters of nomination from JROTC or ROTC commanders and faculty members who know them must support the applications. Scholarship checks are forwarded to the college or university ROTC department where the applicant will attend college.

The CMP has matches during the year in many different areas. The matches include M1 Garand matches all over the U.S. These matches can provide young kids all the way to veterans and older people a chance to test their skills against other competitors. Most of the time the M1 Garand matches are two to three hours long, provided there are two relays; relays are times where about fifteen shooters fire at one time. The matches have very friendly people and a very comfortable environment. For a lot of the younger kids and younger adults just getting into shooting, there are small-bore matches. These use .22 rifles. If one shoots in the small bore matches then you will shoot seventy shots in ten shot intervals. In the match you shoot ten shots lying down in ten minutes and then you shoot ten shots lying down in seventy seconds. Next you will shoot ten shots in ten minutes sitting and then ten shots in seventy seconds. Finally you will shoot ten shots standing in ten minutes and then you shoot ten shots standing in seventy seconds. The small-bore matches include a class to teach the purpose of the Civilian Marksmanship Program and safety. These classes are very friendly to young shooters; they show youngsters the finer art of shooting, mental as well as physical.

The CMP sells many different rifles, including one world renowed rifle, the M1 Garand, which accompanied our soldiers in World War II. If one is refinishing a rifle or needs new parts they can always look to the Civilian Marksmanship Program for any parts or tools. All of the profits from the Civilian Marksmanship Program go to promoting junior marksmanship, scholarships, classes and sponsoring scholarships for members of the JROTC. Creating the Civilian Marksmanship Program has overall been a success for our community. They have given our children a chance to learn about gun safety. They have also been helping the military for keeping us safe. The Civilian Marksmanship Program has been a great decision by congress and a very helpful and friendly organization.

In conclusion, the Civilian Marksmanship Program has helped not only the civilians, but also the youth and the military. The military has benefited America by having better sharpshooters to help protect our troops and us. Youth have learned a lot from the Civilian Marksmanship Program, like gun safety and control of body and mind. The community has greatly benefited from The Civilian Marksmanship Program by being protected and learning to be safe with guns that prevent more and more deaths.