Camp Gruber Firing Range Upgrade

Monday, April 30th 2007, 11:49 am

By: News On 6

BRAGGS, Okla. (AP) -- Construction is under way on a more than $ 3 million upgrade to a firing range at the Camp Gruber training facility for the Oklahoma Army National Guard. The machine gun firing range will be a computer-controlled facility to better prepare soldiers for modern warfare.

Lieutenant Colonel Bill Robinson says the work is about 1/3 complete and is scheduled to be finished in December.

The upgraded eight-lane fire range will span 230 acres and include four lanes that are 800 meters long and four that are 1,500 meters long. The range also will include a sniper field-fire lane where trainees will use either 5.56-caliber or 7.62-caliber ammunition.

Major Brian DeShazo said the new sniper lane is the first of its kind at Camp Gruber. "We're hoping it will bring in more of those trainees," DeShazo said. "If we get them, it will increase our chance of establishing a sniper school."