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USAMU Holds Action-Packed Junior Shooter Camp
By Michael Molinaro
USAMU PAO

FORT BENNING, Ga. -- Staff Sgt. Travis Tomasie, U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit, displays the correct way of transitioning a shooters body through a course of fire Nov. 7 at Krilling Range. Tomasie and the rest of the USAMU's Action Shooting team held a camp for junior action pistol shooters from all over the country, as kids from California, Idaho, Arizona, and North Carolina, among others, descended on Fort Benning to learn from the best in the world and meet new friends. (Photo by Michael Molinaro, USAMU PAO)

United States Army Marksmanship Unit

FORT BENNING, Ga. —-(AmmoLand.com)- Junior shooters from across the country descended on Fort Benning Nov. 6-8 as the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit’s Action Shooting team hosted a junior camp at Krilling Range.

With two national champions, a two-time international sniper champion and a previous attendee at the camp among the instructors, the opportunity to learn from the best was a chance 48 of the top up-and-comers in the growing sport of action shooting couldn’t pass up.

“I needed more training, and my Mom thought if I came here I would meet new friends and have a lot fun,” said nine-year-old Lee Wills, the camp’s youngest participant and a native of Gainesville, Va.. “She was really right.”

The kids were picked to attend the camp after a thorough selection process, said Sgt. 1st Class Aaron Hampton, the camp director. Each junior had to meet certain criteria such as being a ranked U.S. Practical Shooting Association competitor or able to show that you have a good deal of shooting experience.

“This isn’t a beginner’s class,” Hampton said. “By no means is it geared to teach you the fundamentals. Our goal is to help grow the sport.”

FORT BENNING, Ga. -- Pvt. Shane Coley, U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit, instructs juniors on the proper techniques of reloading the weapon Nov. 7 at Krilling Range. Coley and the USAMU Action Shooting team held a junior camp for 48 juniors Nov. 6-8. Coley himself was an attendee just last year and joined the Army after his positive experience at the camp.

Once the juniors met the criteria, they had to submit an essay on what they wanted to gain from coming to the camp and also what the second amendment means to them. Many submissions included a fondness for the Army and desires to one day join the ranks.

“I wanted it to be something that was personal and heartfelt but also something that they’d have to spend a little bit of time to research and understand,” Hampton said. “If you have nine-year olds who can write you a two-page essay on the second amendment, they probably want to show up. It was designed to be a litmus test on how dedicated they were.”

The attendees had the opportunity to learn from the best. Sgt. Daniel Horner, who recently won the Multi-Gun National championship in Boulder City, Nev., worked with the juniors on drawing and accuracy. Sgt. 1st Class Robby Johnson, a two-time International Sniper Competition champion, gave a block of instruction on the introduction to the rifle. The attendees also learned movement techniques, transitions, and reloads.

“I was here last year and had lots of fun,” said Mark Saffery, a 13-year-old from Jacksonville, Fla. “I’ve been competing for three years now. This camp is the best part of the year. We get to learn something from every AMU mentor. They are so awesome and really great guys.”

FORT BENNING, Ga. -- 13-year-old Justin Saffery of Jacksonville, Fla. makes his way through a course of fire while being followed by Sgt. 1st Class Robby Johnson of the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit Nov. 8 at Krilling Range. The USAMU hosted a junior camp for 48 of the top action shooting youths in the nation, instructing them on a variety of techniques and concluding with a competitive match. (Photo by Michael Molinaro, USAMU PAO)

Instructing them on reloads was a familiar face. Pvt. Shane Coley, the newest member of the USAMU, attended the camp in its inaugural year last fall. Before attending the camp, he had no plans on joining the Army. That all changed rather quickly.

“It helped me so much when I came here,” Coley remarked, who arrived at the USAMU after completing basic and advanced individual training a mere three weeks ago. “I got to meet a bunch of new people in the sport, but I also had great mentors and great teachers in the Soldiers on the team.

“I really wanted to prove to them that I could be here. After the world championships last year Sgt. 1st Class Hampton came up to me and we talked. And now I’m here. It is a little weird because a lot of these guys are my friends, but I have to set boundaries. I want to teach them and instruct them. This is a great camp and these kids realize how valuable it is.”

This is a tricky time of year for the Action Shooting team to hold the camp. Soldiers compete in their national championships in late October, and the Fort Benning Three-Gun challenge, which they host, is held the first weekend of December. But it’s a no-brainier for Hampton and his Soldiers to continue bringing the kids back to Krilling Range and keep growing the sport that they all cherish.

“I believe in two things: one, if you’re going to do something you need to go ahead and do it and, two, if you got momentum keep it going because it’s hard to get it started again,” he concluded.

FORT BENNING, Ga. -- 13-year-old James Wall of Parma, Idaho fires on a target under the watchful eye of Sgt. Lee Dimaculangan, U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit. Wall and 47 other children attended the USAMU Action Pistol junior camp Nov. 6-8 at Krilling Range, receiving instruction on reloads, transitioning, draw and accuracy, movement, and an introduction to the rifle. (Photo by Michael Molinaro, USAMU PAO)

About USAMU:
The USAMU’s mission is to raise the standard of marksmanship proficiency and combat readiness throughout the Army by sharing knowledge gained from competing and winning in national/ international competitions, research and development and advanced training programs while enhancing the Army’s recruiting effort through an active public information and public relations program. For more information on the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit, contact the Public Affairs Office at (706) 545-5436, Michael.Molinaro@usaac.army.mil or www.USAMU.com . The U.S. Practical Shooting Association is a nonprofit membership association affiliated with the International Practical Shooting Confederation, which is comprised of approximately 67 nations.

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Commissioners Approve Low-Cost Youth Hunting Permits

Nebraska Game and Parks Commission

LINCOLN, Neb. –-(AmmoLand.com)- There has been a national trend of declining participation in hunting for years. The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission took a step Thursday to attract more young big game hunters.

The Board of Commissioners approved youth deer, turkey and antelope permits that cost $5 each. The board held its regular meeting at Pheasant Bonanza, northwest of Tekamah.

The current prices for selected permits are, excluding agent fees: resident deer ($29), nonresident deer ($208), resident antelope ($29), nonresident antelope ($149.50), resident turkey ($23), and nonresident turkey ($90). All hunters, including youth, pay those prices. Now, youth under age 16 may purchase those permits for $5 each.

Other permits were created and fees amended by the board.

In an effort to raise funds that will do such things as acquire land, support public access programs and improve habitat, the board raised the cost of an annual Nebraska Habitat Stamp by $4 to $20. It also raised the annual Nebraska Aquatic Habitat Stamp by $2.50 to $10.

New permits that were created include nonresident paddlefish, nonresident combination hunt/fish permit, lifetime fur harvest, nonresident elk, and nonresident landowner elk.

The board also raised the cost of a lifetime habitat stamp by $80 to $400 and created agent fees of $1 (purchased through Commission) and $2 (purchased through an agent other than Commission) for most hunting, fishing and fur harvest permits.

Changes to the 2010 fishing and turkey hunting regulations also were approved.

Changes to turkey regulations include a spring turkey permit that may be used in either the shotgun or archery season. In the past, spring turkey hunters were required to purchase either a shotgun permit or archery permit to hunt with those respective weapons during designated seasons.

The board made the following changes to other wildlife regulations:

• Suspended the bighorn sheep harvest in 2010. A pneumonia outbreak has reduced the population of the Fort Robinson herd, where sheep are hunted.
• A limited landowner applicant may be a spouse or child of the owner or leaseholder of qualifying land or a sibling sharing ownership of the qualifying land. The spouse or child need not be residing in the same household of the owner or leaseholder.
• Added landowner bull elk to the list of permit applicants who receive preference points if denied a permit and who lose all preference points if granted a permit. It also removes language that states all preference points will be lost if a person does not apply at least once for five consecutive years.
• Removed all restrictions on draw weight and draw length of archery equipment used to take deer, antelope, turkey, elk, and bighorn sheep.
• Removed all restrictions on how long deer, antelope, turkey, elk, and bighorn sheep meat may be possessed.
• Added a regulation that archers hunting deer, antelope, elk, or bighorn sheep are not required to wear hunter orange during the firearm seasons for antelope, elk or bighorn sheep.
• Removed all restrictions on how long game birds or game animals may be possessed and added language that states that it is unlawful to possess more than a possession limit of game birds or game animals.

The board also:

• Entered into an agreement with the Platte River Basin Environments (PRBE) to provide public access and conservation management on two tracts of land in the Wildcat Hills. The Carter Canyon Ranch Tract (7,870 acres) and the Montz Point Tract (1,430 acres) are owned by PRBE.
• Amended a lease with the Bureau of Reclamation to include a mitigation tract in Webster County in which the Commission will provide public access and conservation management. The 475-acre tract will be designated as Guide Rock Diversion Wildlife Management Area (WMA).
• Acquired a 13.31-acre tract of land at U.S. Highway 77 and Bluff Road in Lancaster County. It will be used to consolidate Commission operations and maintenance staff and replace sites that are being leased.
• Acquired a 156-acre tract of land in Stanton County that will be an extension of Wood Duck WMA.

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