USAMU to celebrate 50th anniversary

[Guest]

Range dedication, Hall of Fame ceremony, highlights of 50th Reunion

By Paula J. Randall
U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit, Accessions Support Brigade

FORT BENNING, Ga. – Hundreds of Soldiers, civilians and family members, past and present, of the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit, will gather together Oct. 18 to 21 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the formation of the Army Marksmanship Unit.

The Military Marksmanship Association – the alumni association of the Army Marksmanship Unit – will conduct the festivities, which start with registration at the Pecan Grove on Phillips Range at 1 p.m. Oct. 18. The MMA Reunion will honor the shooters and staff of the Army Marksmanship Unit and provide an opportunity for the shooters of the past to meet the new shooters of the present. There will be display, shooting demonstrations and open shooting opportunities at all the ranges from 1 to 4 p.m. that day.

Registration continues Oct. 19 starting at 9 a.m. at the Pecan Grove. Round Robin range firing will take place with rifle shooting at the Pool International Shooting Complex, shotgun at Hook Range and pistol firing at Phillips Range through 3 p.m. Participants will also visit the new Fort Benning Rifle and Pistol Club, the National Infantry Museum and Infantry Hall. Former USAMU members will join present members of their teams for dinners that evening.

Oct. 20 starts with a USAMU Open House, Round Robin, displays, demonstrations and open shooting from 9 to 11 a.m. At noon, the teams will conduct their Hall of Fame Induction ceremonies at unit headquarters, Sharpe Hall. The reunion welcome picnic kicks off at the Pecan Grove at 3 p.m. at which time group and team photos will be taken. The MMA will conduct its annual general membership meeting and election of officers at 4 p.m., which will be followed by the announcement of the Round Robin winners. The evening continues with a barbecue until 7 p.m.

The dedication ceremony for the USAMU’s newest Action Shooting Range located on Jamestown Road will begin at noon Oct. 21.

The 50th anniversary celebration concludes with a banquet at the Columbus Trade and Convention Center (Iron Works) starting at 6 p.m. at which the USAMU will induct members into the unit Hall of Fame.

Media are invited to cover the activities but should coordinate with the Public Affairs Office before coming to post. Call (706) 545-5436 or e-mail paula.pagan@usaac.army.mil for more information.

(Formed in 1956 by President Dwight D. Eisenhower to raise the standards of marksmanship throughout the U.S. Army, the Army Marksmanship Unit is assigned to the Accessions Support Brigade of the U.S. Army Accessions Command. The Marksmanship Unit trains its Soldiers to win competitions and enhances combat readiness through train-the-trainer clinics, research and development. For more information on the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit, contact the Public Affairs Office at (706) 545-5436, paula.pagan@usaac.army.mil or www.usamu.com.)