• Unforgettable jouney
• Ranges with a difference
• A Jamaica night with a difference
• International Soprano Abigail Kelly to make her Jamaican debút performance at Military Museum Classical Concert
• Third Battalion Annual Training Camp 12-27 July 2008

From a distance, it was obvious that we were approaching a range. The sounds from the automatic weapons being fired were like music to the ear. 

The range practices started on 28 May 2008. The Jamaica Defence Force contingent was being exposed to the Electrical Targeting Range at the Magilligan Training Centre.

The contingent was in for a treat as the host Unit, the Second Battalion The Mercian Regiment, promised a full range package, which would see the troops being introduced to some state-of-the-art ranges.

“At your targets, in your own time, go on.” This was the instruction shouted out by the Firing Point Officer as he took full control of the range proceedings.

 At all times there were troops trying to get some last minute training before entering the firing point and so one would see individuals rehearsing the different firing positions and techniques in acquiring a target.

All Arms caught up with some of the JDF representatives to get a feedback on their experiences on these unfamiliar ranges.

“These ranges are really advanced,” said Lance Corporal Donovan Simpson-Brown of Number 8 Platoon.  He was sitting on the grass trying to get his weapon prepared for the first stage of the shoot.

He was preparing for the ‘Live Fire Twelve Practice,’ which is an advance application of fire and a precursor to the Mercian’s Annual Personal Weapon Test (APWT).

After Simpson-Brown had finished his first practice, he said he liked the target system which made him feel more confident when firing.

The ranges are designed to allow the soldiers to fire from different positions at moving and static objects.

“I like the idea that when you hit these targets they actually fall,” he said.

For Private Marvin Hyatt these advanced ranges did not do much for him.

“I feel more comfortable with the ranges back home,” he said.  Private Hyatt said that he found it difficult to line up his target. 

 “These targets are hard to identify because I’m using a weapon with a Small Unit Small Arms Trilet (SUSAT) to which I’m not familiar,” he said.

He thought, however, that with more practice, he would be able to use the weapon system better as he became more accustomed to the ranges.

Lieutenant Migel Allen, a Platoon Commander, said that the ranges were very good as they allowed the soldiers to shoot from trenches and behind posts.   He believed that they simulate real life situations for the soldiers.  This range training was unquestionably a valuable experience for the JDF contingent.  The troops’ progress was noticeable.  

“I think that the soldiers did well as their scores improved every time they fired,” said Sergeant Tony Hopkins, a Platoon Sergeant from the Second Battalion The Mercian Regiment, who was the Range Controller.