Over the gorgeous weekend of October 1-2, the Civilian Marksmanship Program conducted its Marksmanship 101 Rifle and Pistol Courses at the Illinois State Rifle Association in Bonfield, Illinois.
Held around the country throughout the year, the October 2022 session included a Pistol Marksmanship 101 Course—the first of its type at the Illinois location. A group of 30 attended the training, guided by instructors Jim Henderson and Larry Grace.
In Rifle, 23 students were trained by instructors Danny Arnold and Dean Bates. The pair also led a Range Safety Officer course with 16 total attendees.
In addition, talented U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit members again provided exceptional hands-on instruction and valuable knowledge for participants in both the Rifle and Pistol Marksmanship 101 Courses during the Illinois courses.
The accompanying Excellence-In-Competition (EIC) rifle and pistol matches each saw two competitors earn introductory points (four points each). The EIC points earned are applied to the total of 30 required to receive the Distinguished Rifleman badge—the highest individual award authorized by the United States government for excellence in marksmanship competition.
“The Illinois State Rifle Association is a fantastic host, and they have told us we always are welcome there,” Amy Cantu, the CMP program and competitions associate and manager of the Marksmanship 101 program, said.
About CMP Marksmanship 101 Courses
The CMP’s Marksmanship 101 Courses are designed to train individuals on rifle or pistol essentials and competition basics in a closely monitored setting. Utilizing the talents of qualified CMP staff and world-class instructors, participants learn through classroom discussion and active training on the range. Near the conclusion of each course, students apply all they have learned in an official EIC match, fired under close supervision of the mentors on the line.
The next Marksmanship 101 Courses are set to be held November 14 (Rifle) and November 15 (Pistol) during the annual Talladega 600 event at the CMP Talladega Marksmanship Park in Talladega, Alabama.
Learn more at thecmp.org.
