After nearly seven years of preparation, the ribbon will be cut today on Fort Leonard Wood's new large-caliber qualification range.
"It's a multi-purpose machine gun range with moving targets up to 1,500 meters. It also has sniper rifle capability," said Joe Mata, Range Operations assistant. "Range 24 will meet all requirements of the individual gunner."
The National Guard, Reserve, Army, Navy, Marines and Air Force will use Range 24.
In 2008, the multi-purpose machine gun range project was submitted.
Construction was initially completed in 2012, but the concept was modified to include stationary infantry targets and double target arms. In August of this year, those additions were completed and, in October, Range 24 passed the Government Acceptance Test.
Mata said troops will be able to start using the range next month.
Range 24 will become one of 32 ranges already on post.
The installation's ranges are used for training with different calibers of ammunition from the smallest at 5.56mm to the largest 30mm cannons fired from the Air Force's A-10 fixed wing aircrafts.
According to range operations, about 682,292 troops trained on the ranges in 2013.
"We are here to support training -- Soldiers, Seamen, Marines and Airmen," said Mata.
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