Ground Breaking for New Camp Perry Indoor Range

On Friday, 14 December, Brigadier General Jack E. Lee, Deputy Commander, Joint Force Headquarters (Ohio), OH ARNG, joined Civilian Marksmanship Program Director Gary Anderson, and COL James Chisman, OH ARNG, Fort Ohio Installations Commander, in a ground breaking ceremony at Camp Perry for a new indoor range and marksmanship training facility. The Civilian Marksmanship Program is partnering with the Ohio National Guard in constructing the facility, which will provide expanded electronic skills training for National Guardsmen and an 80-point air gun range for CMP training and competition programs. Construction is starting this month and is scheduled for completion in June 2008.

Participants in the Camp Perry Joint Use Training Facility groundbreaking were (l. to r.) LTC Ralph Green, ARNG (Ret.), Deputy Post Commander; LTC Barbara Harrington-Clemmons, Installation Commander; Gary Anderson, Director of Civilian Marksmanship, CMP; BG Jack Lee, Deputy Commander, Joint Force Headquarters (Ohio), OH ARNG; Ken Clemmons, Camp Perry Base Engineer and COL Jim Chisman, Fort Ohio Installations Commander.

The new two million dollar Joint Use Training Facility, which has not yet been given a permanent name, will cover a 28,000 square foot area just to the east of Camp Perry’s Petrarca Range. The south end of the building will house National Guard electronic engagement skills training systems. The north end of the building will house the air gun range. Shared space in the middle of the building will provide both organizations with classrooms, storage and office space, a foyer and bathrooms. General Lee described the financial and operational partnership between the Ohio National Guard and the CMP as “a win-win for both organizations.”

“This joint-use facility will double the size of the Army National Guard’s Engagement Skills Trainer 2000, a scenario-based weapons training simulator used for initial and sustainment marksmanship training,” Col. James Chisman, Camp Perry Commander, said. “It will go from 12 to 25 lanes and enable us to train twice as many Soldiers at a time.”

“This is a great joint effort,” Chisman said. “Everybody gets more for less and we are excited to be able to continue a partnership with the CMP that provides quality marksmanship training opportunities for Soldiers as well as the civilian community.”

CMP Director Gary Anderson and Brigadier General Jack Lee cut the cake to begin a post groundbreaking reception at CMP Headquarters.

The Civilian Marksmanship Program is providing funding to construct a new indoor air gun range that will be a major part of the Joint Use Facility. The 80 firing point range will be equipped with electronic targets. When finished, it will be the largest facility of its type in the Western Hemisphere. The addition of this facility to the complex of ranges at Camp Perry will enable the CMP to conduct year-around programming with many of its activities being conducted during the winter months when outdoor activities are not possible at Camp Perry.

The image of the future facility located at Camp Perry. The first half will be the National Guard electronic engagement skills training systems and classrooms and the second half will be the 80-point air rifle range with electronic targets.

CMP Director Gary Anderson said, "the construction of this new facility with its state-of-the-art electronic targets is the fulfillment of a major objective in the CMP long range plan. This will give us a dedicated education, training and competition center at Camp Perry that we can use to conduct many youth and adult training and competition activities that simply were not possible before or that that had to be conducted at other locations. Our Board of Directors and staff are very excited about the new facility. It's going to have a major impact by bringing many more events and visitors from all over the country to Camp Perry."

Construction of the facility and the installation of electronic targets is scheduled to be completed in June 2008 in time to host two major youth training events in June including a CMP Junior Rifle Camp on 23-27 June. The air gun range will also be available during the 2008 National Matches to host air rifle and air pistol competition and fun-shooting activities.

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