U.S. Marines from Combat Logistics Company 21 (CLC-21) utilized the Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Cherry Point pistol range on Jan. 7, 2022. The marksmanship coaches set up the course of fire, designed by CLC-21 executive officer, U.S. Marine Corps 1st Lt. James Minturn in preparation for the Marine Corps Marksmanship Competition at Camp Lejeune later this year.
“The course of fire benefits the Marines in several ways.” Minturn said. “One is it increases a basic Marines lethality with their small arms, whether that's rifle or pistol, and also increases their ability to perform better on their standard annual rifle qualifications as we transition from the annual rifle training platforms.”
During 2021, the pistol range underwent several renovations, such as improving upon the steel plate targets and installing laterally moving targets on the range. The steel plate targets renovation allows the targets to be set back in place via remote control rather than a cease-fire to set the targets in place manually. The laterally moving targets, which reach speeds of up to 15km per hour, were a new addition to the range. CLC-21 was the first unit to use these targets under live fire.
(U.S. Marine Corps photos by Lance Cpl. Lauralle Walker)