March Field firing range moves to other side of tracks, goes high tech

  • Published
  • By TSgt Joe Davidson
  • 452 AMW/PA
MARCH AIR RESERVE BASE, CALIF. --  Team March and other government authorities, who require weapons training or qualification, will no longer have to brave cold and rainy or hot and blustery climates at the range across the tracks and freeway from the base. They will soon begin using the newly-built Indoor Small Arms Firing Range on base.

Col. Mary Aldrian, commander, 452d Air Mobility Wing; Congressman Ken Calvert, 44th Congressional District; Col. Mark Toy, commander, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Los Angeles District; The Honorable Richard Stewart, Mayor, City of Moreno Valley; and Hector Sanchez, president, P and S Construction, Inc., the contractor responsible for building the facility, participated in a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the new location March 10, to mark the range's official opening.

"This new facility will be a demonstration of our commitment to provide the very best training to our military members to prepare them for combat anywhere, anytime," said Aldrian.

The old range, built 70 years ago in 1942, was in operation six years before the Air Force Reserve was established. It accommodated 1500 firing range trainees per year.

"I can't help but wonder about all the great military leaders who passed through our base and honed their marksmanship skills at our old range," Aldrian said.

The indoor range's state-of-the-art construction will enable shooters to qualify with all weapons, firing from all positions in both a day and night fire scenarios. The 28,000 square-foot building includes 28 range positions, a weapons cleaning room, office space and a vault to secure weapons and ammunition.

Range instructors will be in complete control and view of all shooters as they sit in a modern control booth behind the firing line. If necessary, vehicles will be allowed entry into the facility to enable trainees to fire from a moving position.

The new facility is a welcome addition to the capabilities of March and will allow not only members of the 452 AMW to fire, but also the 163rd Air Reconnaissance Wing, 4th Air Force, local Army, Navy and Marine Corps units and members from Los Angeles Air Force Base.

"In the twenty months I've been here I have participated in a lot of ground-breaking and a lot of ribbon-cutting ceremonies, but this is the first time that I actually got to do both," said Toy. "That is a real milestone for me, as district commander, to take a project from cradle to grave. We are so proud of our 50 plus year association with March and I welcome more work so we can increase our presence here."

The new indoor range will be operated by members of the 452d AMW Security Forces Squadron's Combat Arms Training Division, and according to squadron officials, will provide a variety of different training opportunities.

"This new facility will help increase our ability for upcoming deployments," said Master Sgt. Daniel McDow, CADT noncommissioned officer-in-charge. "It will also help to prepare us for any contingency we are called to support."

The number of personnel training each year will increase as users of the new facility schedule on a first come, first served basis beginning in April.