FORT KNOX, Ky., – 3rd Regiment, Advanced Camp Cadets complete their weapons qualification at Pells Range, Fort Knox, Ky., June 18, 2023.  Cadets spent the last three days preparing. Prior to making it to weapons qualifications, Cadets must go through the preliminary marksmanship instruction, the engagement skills trainer, and then, group and zero on the days leading up to qualifications day.  Cadets will complete a practice round before participating in the official qualifications round. Cadet Haley Higgins, University of Central Missouri, scored a 23 on the practice round of the qualifications. Cadets must hit a minimum of 23 out of 40 [...]

FORT KNOX, Ky. – 11th Regiment, Advanced Camp Cadets spend a very humid morning, July 22, out at George Blair Range to qualify on the M-4 rifles as part of their Cadet Summer Training at Fort Knox, Ky. To qualify on the M-4 rifle, Cadets must go through multiple days of training. They start out at group and zero where they learn to group their shots together both with and without a laser. They then move on to qualifying the weapon. Cadets shoot 40 rounds at different distanced pop-up targets. To make Marksman, they must hit the target at least 23 times [...]

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXbFtWjK12A[/embedyt] FORT KNOX, Ky. — The sound of gun fire boomed across George Blair Range on July 14 while 9th Regiment, Advanced Camp, Cadets completed their Weapons Qualification. Cadets had three days to prepare for weapons qualification. Those three days included: Preliminary Marksmanship Instruction (PMI), Group and Zero and Down Range Feedback. At PMI, Cadets learned about the fundamentals of their weapons systems in a classroom setting. On the second day, Cadets took to a range to learn how to group and zero their weapons. Cadets refined their skills on the third day in preparation for the qualification the next [...]

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HvVlCY0tl2g[/embedyt] FORT KNOX, Ky. – As the fog lifted from George Blair Range, 8th Regiment Advanced Camp Cadets began their weapons qualification, July 7.  “The objective is for all the Cadets to qualify,” said Capt. Patrick Laine, a cadre on the range. “Before weapons qualification, Cadets were taught how to group and zero their shots. They learned to make adjustments based on how they hit a stationary target.” Unlike their previous practice rounds, Cadets shot pop-up targets from three different positions. Each iteration of weapons qualification began with Cadets lying in the prone supported  position, which provides the most stability [...]

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mb3Pp3ce6VE[/embedyt] Fort Knox, Ky. – Seventh Regiment Cadets spent the day hoping to hit the mark at George Blair Range for weapons qualification. For some Cadets, this morning was nerve-racking while for others like Cleveland State University Cadet David Kullik, from North Olmsted, Ohio, this was a morning full of excitement. “I am actually really excited,” Kullik said. “It is always fun to throw rounds down range and be with your friends. It is fun testing yourself. Marksmanship is an important soldiering skill, everyone needs to know it. It is really fun to put it to the test and compete [...]

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jnqIf5IOxvg[/embedyt] FORT KNOX, Ky. – Advanced Camp, 3rd Regiment Cadets aimed to pass their weapons qualification, June 14, at George Blair Range. Weapons Qualification is a must pass event for Cadet Summer Training. Basic Rifle Marksmanship training is a four-day process, starting with preliminary marksmanship instruction and culminating with weapon qualification. Over the course of the four-days Cadets built their confidence and skill with their assigned M4 Carbine. “The four-day progression model that we have starts very basic, PMI teaches them how to take it [the rifle] apart and how to handle it,” said Master Sgt. Don Oakes who is an [...]

FORT KNOX, Ky. – Second Regiment, Advanced Camp Cadets spent the last three days on marksmanship training and put that training to the test today during Weapons Qualification on George Blair Range. To successfully qualify a Cadets must hit at least 23 of the 40 targets that pop up in their lane. Targets are as close as 100 meters and as far away as 300 meters. They pop up as a single target or in pairs. The shooter fires 20 rounds from the prone supported position and 10 rounds each from prone unsupported and kneeling position. “Today was the best I [...]

FORT KNOX, Ky – George Blair Range was in full use around 7 a.m. today as the 1st Regiment conducted their weapon qualification.  Cadets had spent the previous two days honing in on their marksman skills to prepare for this morning’s qualification. “We spent the last 48 hours detailing, zeroing and adjusting the clicks, knobs and turns so that we could come out here and qualify,” said Eric Jones, a Cadet from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.  Zeroing in a weapon involves aligning sights in a sight picture and then aligning aiming points at a target.  Jones explained, “You spend [...]

A bullet from an M4 travels to its target at a rate of 2,970 ft/s. The impact of that bullet on the target is relative to the impact it has on a soldier’s career. Cadets from 8th Regiment, Advanced Camp improve and test their weapons training during Weapons Qualification at the George Blair Range July 16, 2018. “They’ve already received their primary block of instruction, or PMI as we call it, which is classroom time,” stated Staff Sgt. Murray, the assistant to the Range Safety Officer. “…Then they come out here to apply those lessons learned.” “They have three shooting iterations. [...]

FORT KNOX, Ky – It was a day of smiles and tears at the Waybur Theater, July 15, 2018, as 3rd Regiment, Basic Camp Cadets saw their loved ones for the first time in weeks. “I was ecstatic,” exclaimed Cadet Tandra Logiudice, Truman State University. “He’s like ‘ [you have] two minutes to get your bags’ and I was like ‘give me two seconds and I’ll run over there.’” As the parents exited the theater after a short presentation, the Cadets march over to greet them in the parking lot. The Cadets lined up in formation, displaying the discipline they have [...]

FORT KNOX, Ky – Cadets from 7th Regiment, Advanced Camp set their marks and took their best shots, as guests from the Kentucky State Cabinet visited and observed what goes on during Weapons Qualification on July 10, 2018. After practicing grouping and zeroing their shots the day before, Cadets were tested on their abilities at the George Blair “pop- up” range. “Today, we are qualifying at the range to test our marksmanship skills,” stated Cadet Bryant Sullivan, East Carolina University. “The whole point of this is to ensure that your battle buddy next to you can do something as simple as [...]

FORT KNOX, Ky. – Black silhouettes peeked out across the pop-up range. The challenge is not where they are going to appear, but when. 5th Regiment, Advanced Camp Cadets shot M-4s in the prone supported, prone unsupported, and kneeling positions, changing aim to keep the target in sight. Cadre use this exercise to familiarize Cadets with the pop-up mechanism and enhance their basic marksmanship skills. They will encounter the pop-up range often as Lieutenants. Between using blanks in Field Training Exercises and live-rounds on the pop-up range, Cadets have come as close as possible to understanding organized combat tactics thanks to these [...]

FORT KNOX, KY – The Cadets from 1stRegiment Advanced Camp had high morale despite the extreme temperatures as they completed the alternate course qualification with their M4 carbines, on June 9th, at the Canby Hills Range. The ALT-C qualification is the Army’s 25-meter alternate course for rifle qualification. The Cadets are required to shoot at targets containing 10 silhouettes, scaled to represent distances ranging from 50 to 300 meters. They are timed on 3 strings of fire; one for each firing position: prone supported, prone unsupported, and kneeling. Cadets began by firing 20 rounds in 120 seconds from the prone supported [...]

FORT KNOX, Ky.—Cadets of 6th Regiment, Advanced Camp took on their weapons qualification July 3 at George Blair range. “What’s required of Cadets is discipline and the fundamentals of shooting such as the firing position, the trigger squeeze, the breathing and also target acquisition, which is identifying the target.” said Staff Sgt. Austin W. Bowles, Range Safety Officer, Fort Hood, Texas. Bowles expressed that he felt as though it would be difficult for Cadets who were not familiar with firearms to qualify given that marksmanship can be a tedious task to master. Bowles also shared his advice on how he believed [...]

By: Madison Thompson FORT KNOX, Ky. – 8th Regiment, Basic Camp, Cadets zeroed and qualified with their M16 rifles at Canby Hill Range, July 24, during Cadet Summer Training at Fort Knox. At this course, Cadets used live rounds to practice firing at paper targets, which simulate varying distances from 50 meters to 300 meters. “They’re going through basic marksmanship instruction. For a lot of Cadets, it’s the first time they’ve ever shot a weapon. First, they have to zero the weapon. So, get a couple rounds close together on the target where they’re aiming. Then they’re going to qualify, where [...]

FORT KNOX, Ky. – Cadets from Advanced Camp 9th Regiment headed to George Blair Shooting Range for weapon qualification, July 17, during Cadet Summer Training at Fort Knox, Ky. The day before qualification the Cadets go through Preliminary Marksmanship Instruction (PMI) to help them hold the weapon, know the parts of the weapon, and the different positions they will be shooting from. “I do believe that PMI prepared me for today, it just goes over the basic fundamentals that every shooter needs to become a great shooter, said Cadet Jared Neeb, University of Louisiana in Lafayette, from New Orleans, La Weapon [...]

By: Madison Thompson FORT KNOX, Ky. – 7th Regiment, Basic Camp, Cadets executed Alt-C weapons qualification at Canby Hill Range, July 19, during Cadet Summer Training at Fort Knox. Cadets worked to qualify by zeroing and grouping the M16 rifle in the controlled setting of the Alt-C course. “Zero involves getting your weapon aimed down sites the right way. Grouping is to make sure that they get a certain amount of shots within a certain area so that they’re consistent in their aiming,” stated 2nd Lt. Justin Atkins, graduate of University of California, Riverside. Cadets practiced these two skills by firing [...]

By: Madison Thompson FORT KNOX, Ky. – 5th Regiment, Advanced Camp, completed weapons qualification at the Pells/George Blair Range, June 21, at Fort Knox during Cadet Summer Training. Weapons qualification is training where Cadets shoot live ammunition on a range at pop-up targets. “Yesterday, they did their grouping and zeroing to get their shot group closer and closer to the center of the target. Today, they’re going out onto the range and they shoot their targets and qualify,” said 2nd Lt. Michaela Bauman. Before going out to qualify their M4 Carbine Rifle, Cadets must go through several steps. “To get ready [...]

By: Madison Thompson FORT KNOX, Ky. – 2nd Regiment, Basic Camp, participated in weapons zeroing and weapons qualification June 12 at Canby Hill Range at Fort Knox, Kentucky during Cadet Summer Training. This training is for Cadets to better understand their weapon in terms of safety and proper use. “Right now, they’re getting qualified on the M16. They are getting confidence in grouping, zeroing and basic familiarization at this point. Some of them have never shot a weapon before and so that’s the experience that they’re getting,” said 2nd Lt. Aurora Alejos. Cadet Patrick Spencer, Texas Christian University, Indianapolis, Indiana, explained [...]

FORT KNOX, Ky.—Advance Camp 1st Regiment continues their weapons qualification with several Cadets from A Company 1st Platoon trying to achieve expert marksmanship. Basic rifle marksmanship tests Cadets skills in hitting the target and all of the fundamentals of shooting. The standard for basic rifle marksmanship is a 23 of 40. For a Cadet to qualify for expert marksmanship, they have to shoot a 36 of 40. Cadet Cooper Glenn of Valley Forge Military Academy and College was one of the Cadets hoping to achieve expert marksmanship. Earlier in the day, Glenn had shot a 31 and in his final round [...]