A new training tool for members of the Missouri National Guard was used by soldiers Friday for the first time.
A firing range is now located on the grounds of the Ike Skelton Training Center. The area had been used by the Missouri Highway Patrol as a range, but much more has been done to handle the needs of the Guard.
Ten concrete tubes have been installed along with a new barrier behind them to allow Guardsmen to fire both 9mm weapons, as well M-16 rifles.
Modeled on designs used by the Air Force and the Corps of Engineers, the range cost $670,000 to construct and took two years to come to fruition.
Previously, Guard members had to travel to one of three other training sites (in Neosho, Nevada or Fort Leonard Wood) to qualify. The range gives the Guard a place where local units and units not located near the other areas can shoot. Long term, this should be a huge cost savings for the organization, not only by taking out the hours of travel previously needed but also by giving back a lot of time to soldiers and airmen who previously had to spend hours in travel time.
"When you have a 20-minute drive instead of a three-hour drive to get here, it's great," said Lt. Brittany Rosener with the 835th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion based at the Blue Armory in Jefferson City. "It can take a day to a day and a half just to get everything loaded up to head out, so this is great. Having the tubes helps you focus more on your target. At other ranges without them, there can be the tendency to hit targets not in your lane so this helps your aim."