To 2004 Rifle National Trophy Matches Competitors:

Your entry in the 2004 Rifle National Trophy Matches was received and confirmed earlier. This message provides additional information to help you prepare for this year’s matches. The National Trophy Rifle Matches, including the Presidents, National Trophy Individual, M16 EIC, Springfield and Garand individual matches and the National Trophy Team, National Trophy Infantry Team and Whistler Boy Team matches, take place at Camp Perry on August 3-7. 

IN-PROCESSING. All competitors and non-firing team captains or coaches in the National Trophy Rifle Matches must check in at National Matches In-Processing when you first arrive at Camp Perry. The In-Processing Center is again located in the Camp Perry Arcade, Bldg. #3, the same building where the CMP offices are located. After you go through the Camp Perry guard station, proceed straight ahead until you see a Chapel on the left and a long, low building with a CMP Headquarters sign in front of it on the right. Park in the lot on the left (west) side of the road and walk across the street to the entrance with the In-Processing sign. 

COMPETITOR CHECK-IN. The check-in process for competitors and team officials includes 1) completing a Post Locator form to facilitate emergency contacts, 2) picking up your National Matches Welcome Packet, 3) signing an eligibility affidavit and liability form or confirming that you have previously signed one of these forms, 4) confirming your match entry data, 5) paying any unpaid entry fees, 6) picking up your National Matches Competitor Packet and 7) picking up a parking permit, if applicable. 

SQUADDING. Competitors in the President’s and National Trophy Individual Matches will be squadded in six relays through a random draw. You will have different squadding for each match. The primary squadding draw will be done on Tuesday evening, July 27, using all entries that are received by the close of business on July 27. Competitors who enter by that date will be able to pick up their competitors packets with squadding starting on July 31. Any entries received after July 27 will be squadded in supplemental squadding runs and those competitors will be able to pick up their packets on the following day. Your competitor labels will show your squadding for the President’s and NTI matches. Your label also shows the categories in which you are entered and whether you are scheduled to fire in the morning or afternoon groups in the Springfield and Garand Matches.

COMPETITOR PACKETS. National Trophy Matches competitor packets with your squadding, competitor labels, scorecards and “Competitors Firing/Pit Assignment Relay Rotation Schedule” will be available for pick-up at the In-Processing Center (Bldg. #3) starting on Saturday, July 31 and continuing through Friday, August 6. When you pick up your competitor packet, you will be asked to check a data sheet with your entry and category data. Please check this information carefully to be sure everything is correct. This will assure that you are in the correct award categories and that your Distinguished status is correct. 

M16 EIC, GARAND AND SPRINGFIELD SQUADDING. Your competitor labels will indicate whether you are scheduled to fire in the morning (AM) or afternoon (PM) groups for the Springfield and Garand Matches. All M16 EIC competitors will fire in the morning. Check the “Competitors Firing/Pit Assignment Relay Rotation Schedule” that is in your Competitor Packet to determine when you must report to the range to obtain your squadding and be ready to fire or report to the pits. Squadding tables will be set up in the center of the range. Squadding tickets with your relay and firing point assignments can be picked up at these tables starting at 6:00 AM on the day of the match. YOU WILL NEED A COMPETITOR LABEL TO PICK UP YOUR SQUADDING. If you wish to be squadded with a friend or family member or want to share a rifle in the Springfield or Garand Match, the shooters in that group must report to the squadding table together. A squadding table also will be set up in the CMP Results Center (Rodriguez Range) where you can pick up squadding for the next day’s match on the day before. Squadding for the M16 EIC Match will be available at the CMP Results Center at 6:00-7:00 PM on Wednesday, 4 August and on Thursday morning, 5 August, on Viale Range from 6:00-7:00 AM. Squadding for the Springfield Match will be available at the CMP Results Center on Thursday, 5 August, at 3:00-5:00 PM and on Friday morning, 6 August, on Rodriguez Range at 6:00-7:00 AM for the morning (AM) group and on Rodriguez Range at 10:30-11:30 AM for the afternoon (PM) group. Squadding for the Garand Match will be available at the CMP Results Center on Friday, 6 August, at 5:00-6:00 PM and on Saturday morning, 7 August, on Viale Range at 6:00-7:00 AM for the morning (AM) group and on Viale Range at 10:30-11:30 AM for the afternoon (PM) group.

WAITLIST COMPETITORS. Record numbers of entries this year have made it necessary to set up waitlists for the National Trophy and CMP matches. Any competitor who is on one or more waitlists will be given a National Trophy Matches Waitlist Status Card when you check-in at In-Processing. The Waitlist Status Card will list the events where you are on waitlist status and your priority number on that list. You also will be given an instruction sheet that tells you when and where to report. Waitlisted competitors who report to the range will be called in priority order to fill empty firing positions. There are always some vacancies in these matches and they will be filled by offering them to waitlisted competitors in the order of their waitlist priority numbers. In 2003, we had a waitlist of 50 competitors for the President’s Rifle Match and were able to get all of these competitors on the firing line to compete in the match.

CANCELLATIONS. Because we have many shooters waitlisted for this year’s matches, it is important that any of you who know you will not be able to make it to Camp Perry for the matches to contact the CMP Competitions Staff to cancel your entry. This will allow us to notify the next person on that waitlist that they are in the match. Call 419-635-2141, ext. 1106 or 1132 or email amaloy@odcmp.com. 

M16 EIC MATCH. The M16 EIC Match is restricted to competitors, military or civilian, who have not previously earned any service rifle EIC points. If you entered this match and subsequently earned EIC leg points in a regular EIC match, you are no longer eligible to earn a 4-point leg in this match. If you become ineligible to earn EIC points in this match, you are encouraged to check with CMP staff to see if your spot in the match could be given to someone on the waitlist. You will be given a full refund.

M16 EIC MATCH NEEDS VOLUNTEER RANGE AND PIT OFFICERS. The new M16 EIC Match is being run with the support of military and Distinguished shooters who are not involved in the Whistler Boy Team Match. These shooters will act as range officers and coaches or pit officers. M16 EIC Match rules allow range officers to provide assistance to competitors who may not be familiar with the M16 rifle. If you are a Distinguished or experienced service rifle shooter who would like to help the shooters in this match get off to a good start in service rifle competition, please contact Tammy Limestahl of the CMP Staff (419) 635-2141 ext 1132. You would be required to work on Viale Range on Thursday, 5 August, from 6:00 AM to approximately 12:00 noon, when the match concludes.

NON-FIRING TEAM CAPTAINS. Anyone who will be a non-firing team captain or coach in the National Trophy Rifle Team Match or the National Trophy Infantry Team Match and who is not entered in the National Trophy individual events is still required to enter the matches. There is no entry fee for this, but it is necessary to have non-firing captains or coaches recorded in our data base so that their names will appear in the results bulletin. This entry can be submitted on line at http://clubs.odcmp.com/cgi-bin/matchRegistration.cgi?matchID=346. Open the “Individual Registration” form, fill in the requested information and check the box for non-firing team captain or coach. 

NEW SCORECARD FORMAT. A modified scorecard design will be used for the 2004 CMP National Trophy Rifle Matches. They are designed to be read by a scanner and optical character reading software which the CMP is using this year to facilitate even faster posting of your scores. The scorecards require a different method of recording Xs and misses so be sure to read the instructions that will be issued with your scorecards. This system was used successfully in the National Trophy Pistol Matches where we had excellent cooperation from the shooters in filling out the scorecards according to instructions. The CMP is also using a divided scorecard for the President’s and NTI Matches. Please be sure to detach and turn in the first portion of these scorecards as soon as they are signed by the scorer and competitor. This will make it possible to post preliminary results on the Internet so that match leaders can be identified. 

ON-LINE NATIONAL MATCHES RESULTS. Last year, the CMP pioneered a match results system that allows competitors and their families and friends back home to see results for every National Trophy Match on-line within 30 minutes after scorecards are turned in. This year, the CMP Competitor Tracker system will again let anyone who wants to see the day’s National Trophy Match results click on http://clubs.odcmp.com/cgi-bin/matchResultSearch.cgi and see all scores right after they are fired. Rifle results will be posted throughout each day of the matches so tell your family and friends and your military commands that they can check results on the CMP web site on the day of the matches.

DISTINGUISHED BADGE PRESENTATION. Shooters who earned their Distinguished Rifleman Badges at the 2003 National Matches or in the 12 months since are eligible to have their badges presented on-stage during the National Trophy Rifle Award Ceremony on Friday evening, August 6. To be part of the presentation ceremony, Distinguished Rifleman Badge winners must bring their badges to Camp Perry and CHECK IN WITH TAMMY LIMESTAHL AT CMP HEADQUARTERS BEFORE THE AWARD CEREMONY. Please do this no later than 12:00 noon on Friday, August 6. If you do not check in with CMP staff before the ceremony you will not be called up on stage during the ceremony.

NATIONAL TROPHY TEAM MATCH ENTRIES. Team entries may be made at the In-Processing Center any time between July 31 and August 5, but not later than 4:00 PM on the day before the match. Scorecards and team squadding for the National Trophy Rifle and National Trophy Infantry Team Matches will be issued at the In-Processing Center when team entries are submitted. The Team Entry Confirmation Card with competitor labels for the six team firing members, coach and captain affixed to it, must be returned to the CMP (at In-Processing or to the CMP Results Center on the day of the match) not later than the start of the team matches on August 6 (NTT) or August 7 (NTIT). Team Captains should note that there will be an Infantry Trophy Team Captains meeting at the Viale Range tower immediately after National Trophy Team Match firing concludes on Friday, 6 August. All teams entered in the Infantry Trophy Match must be represented at this meeting. 

OUT-OF-COMPETITION TEAM OPTION. The “out-of-competition” team entry option (see CMP Rule 4.10) makes it possible for more competitors to shoot the team matches when they cannot form an eligible team. If your team, club or state association does not have enough shooters at Camp Perry to form an eligible team or you do not have or do not want to burn a new shooter, you can still form an out-of-competition team and fire in the team matches. Out-of-competition team scores will be posted and listed in the results bulletin, but new shooter eligibility is not affected and, of course, these teams are not eligible for awards. 

NATIONAL TROPHY MATCHES RESULTS AND CHALLENGES. During the National Trophy Rifle Matches, the CMP Results Center will be located at the rear of Rodriguez Range. Results will be posted there as soon as scorecards are received and entered. Results also will be posted in Bldg. #1002. Anyone who believes that their score or award category is not properly recorded should contact the CMP staff at the Results Center as soon as possible. There is no fee for this; the CMP wants to provide complete, accurate results as soon as possible and your inquiries will help achieve that. Challenge periods for all CMP National Trophy Matches will be posted at the Results Center. 

NATIONAL TROPHY AWARDS. The complete awards list for all CMP trophies to be presented at the CMP Award Ceremony will be posted at the CMP Results Center as soon as appropriate scores are available. This list will be subject to challenge until the close of the National Trophy Matches challenge periods. The CMP Award Ceremony will take place at Hough Theater on Friday, August 6, starting at 7:00 PM. CMP medals and certificates for the Presidents 100 may be picked up in the theater after the CMP award ceremony or during the following day. Medals for NTI and NTT matches will be mailed after results are verified. All competitors are invited to a Competitor Reception that the CMP will host between 6:00 and 7:00 PM at Petrarca Range, immediately preceding the award ceremony.

PRESENTATION RIFLES. Special presentation rifles will be awarded to the winners of the President’s and National Trophy Individual Matches, to the high junior in the Deneke Trophy Aggregate and to the high overall National Trophy Matches individual competitor. Presentation rifles for this year include an M1 Garand prepared by Arrington Accuracy Works for the President’s Match winner, an M1 Garand prepared by National Match Armory, Rendon, Texas for the National Trophy Individual Match winner, a Compass Lake Engineering AR-15-type competition rifle for the overall junior individual aggregate winner and a Bushmaster DCM AR-15-type rifle for the shooter who fires the highest overall score in the Presidents-NTI-NTT aggregate. You can see all of these presentation rifles in one of the windows at the CMP offices. The CMP expresses its sincere thanks to Compass Lake Engineering, Bushmaster, the National Match Armory and Arrington Accuracy Works for their outstanding support of the National Trophy Matches.

INFANTRY TROPHY CLINIC. The USMC Rifle Team will conduct an Infantry Trophy Clinic on Thursday, 5 August. The clinic will begin with classroom instruction in Hough Theater starting at 2:00 PM, or as soon as possible after the Whistler Boy Team Match is over. Anyone who plans to fire the Infantry Team Match on Saturday is encouraged to attend this clinic, especially if you are an inexperienced Infantry Trophy shooter. After the classroom instruction, the clinic will move out to Viale Range where all attendees will have a 500 yard live-fire opportunity that should give them an Infantry Trophy zero for the competition on Saturday. Be sure to bring your own service rifle and enough ammunition for the live fire exercise.

SPRINGFIELD AND GARAND MATCH CLINICS. Three clinics for Springfield and Garand Match shooters will again be offered this year. Anyone who has not previously fired in a Springfield or Garand Match is required to attend one of these clinics before they shoot these matches. The clinics will take place at the bleachers located behind Petrarca Range. The first clinic will be offered at 6:00 PM on Thursday, 5 August (after the Infantry Trophy Clinic), the second at 4:00 PM on Friday, 6 August, and the third at 9:00 AM on Saturday, 7 August. If you are new to these matches or want a refresher on match rules, range procedures and firing techniques, be sure to attend one of these clinics.

AMMUNITION ISSUE FOR M16 EIC, SPRINGFIELD AND GARAND MATCHES. Ammunition will be issued to competitors in these matches on the day of the match. To draw your ammo, report to one of the ammo wagons on the range. You will need your match scorecard with a competitor label on it. Issued ammo must be fired in these matches; the only exceptions are for Krag or foreign military rifle shooters who may use handloads or commercial ammo. 

PIN, T-SHIRT AND MEDAL ISSUE FOR M16 EIC, SPRINGFIELD AND GARAND MATCHES. The procedure for issuing competitor pins (M16 EIC) or T-shirts and medals (Springfield and Garand Matches) has been changed this year. The pin, T-shirt and medal issue will be done on the ranges, starting immediately after the pits are unsealed for the group of firers that have just completed firing. This will facilitate keeping the match on schedule so that competitors are available to perform their scoring and pit duties without delays caused by waiting to pick up these items during the match.

NATIONAL TROPHY MATCHES FESTIVAL CLOSING. Many of you praised the centennial celebration at the close of the 2003 National Trophy Matches. A similar festival event will close the 2004 National Trophy Rifle Matches. The 2004 Festival Closing will take place on Petrarca Range, starting at 6:00 PM on Saturday, 7 August, or as soon as Garand Match firing on Viale Range concludes. Tables and chairs will be set up in the covered area. The CMP will provide beer and soft drinks. Food service vendors will be set up on the range so that anyone who attends can purchase food to eat during the closing. Awards for the Garand, Springfield and Infantry Trophy Matches will be presented and drawings for the CMP Rifle Raffle and Garand and Springfield Presentation Rifles will be conducted. This will be a time for a relaxed conclusion to the National Trophy Matches where you can all enjoy the camaraderie of the matches and their competitors and officials.

ENTRY OPPORTUNITIES AT NATIONAL MATCHES. A few more entry spaces in the Rifle Small Arms Firing School on 1-2 August are still available. The Springfield, Garand and National Trophy Matches now have competitors on waitlist status, but there may be a few entry spaces that open up. If you have shooting friends who are interested, tell them they can register by opening the CMP Competition Tracker’s list of upcoming events at http://clubs.odcmp.com/cgi-bin/matchUpcomingSearch.cgi. Select the event you wish to enter and follow instructions to enter. If the event they want is waitlisted, they will be informed as soon as possible as to their entry status.

DISTINGUISHED SHOOTER RECORDS. The CMP is compiling a complete, accurate list of all Distinguished shooters from the beginning of this program in 1884 to the present day. The current CMP list can be viewed on the CMP web site at http://clubs.odcmp.com/cgi-bin/report_distinguished.cgi. If you are a Distinguished shooter, please check your record and let CMP staff know if it is not complete or accurate. Each Distinguished listing should show the shooter’s name, badge number, date or year when they earned the badge, military status or home town at the time the badge was earned and date of birth. If your record is incomplete or inaccurate, please contact CMP Competitions with the correct information, 419-635-2141, ext. 1132 or competitions@odcmp.com. 

2004 CMP COMPETITION RULES. The 2004 8th Edition of the CMP COMPETITION RULES is posted on the CMP web site at http://www.odcmp.com/Competitions/Rulebook.pdf. 2004 rulebooks will be provided to each competitor in the National Trophy Matches in your competitor packets. Additional printed copies can be purchased from CMP for $3.00 each. There were very few rule changes this year that deal with service pistol shooting. 

· Rules for the new M16 EIC match are in this year’s rulebook. The rules now provide for only one M16 EIC match each year during the National Matches. No decision has been made on whether or how to expand this match. The rules also state that firing in the M16 EIC match does not count as one of the four EIC matches that Non-Distinguished shooters are authorized to fire in one calendar year.

· The rules clarify that shooters on out-of-competition teams are not eligible for individual awards that use National Trophy Team Match scores.

· The rules now provide specifically that the M16 service rifle must be a M16A2 or M16A4 rifle. This means that M16/AR-15 rifles with detachable carry handles are legal, but if they are used, a carry handle with a legal service rifle rear sight mounted in the conventional location (A2 configuration) must be on the rifle. The use of an M16A1 butt stock, which is shorter than normal, is now specifically authorized.

· Consideration was given to broadening the definition of the Police category, but a consensus on how to change this rule was not achieved and no changes were approved for this year. The CMP Program Committee is looking for further input that addresses the issue of whether law enforcement instructors, auxiliary and part-time officers, security officers and retired law enforcement officers should be included in this category.

· Renewed consideration was given to establishing an open Civilian team category where residency is not restricted to the state or local area of the club (see Rule 4.8.6), but these changes also were not approved. The purpose of the current residency rule is to encourage the development of strong state association and club teams by not permitting the formation of Civilian all-star teams. Some of the best competitions in the National Trophy Matches have been the contests between civilian state association and club teams for the Oglethorpe Trophy in pistol and the Soldier of Marathon Trophy in rifle. The CMP Program Committee is concerned that allowing the formation of civilian teams whose members come from all over the country will take too many good shooters out of the state and club teams and weaken what has become some of the best competitions in the National Trophy Team Matches. Further input is also welcome on this issue.

CMP COMPETITION RULES FORUM. The CMP Program Committee and DCM will conduct an open forum for interested competitors, match sponsors and club or state association representatives on Wednesday evening, August 4th. The CMP Forum will take place in the National Guard Range Operations Conference Room (on the 2nd floor). Go to the new building on the south side of the road behind Young Range (next to the Armorer Vans). The forum will start at 7:30 PM. Anyone interested in providing input or asking questions about CMP Competition Rules is encouraged to attend.

We hope you have a safe trip to Camp Perry and an enjoyable visit to the 2004 National Matches. Anytime members of the CMP staff can be of assistance to you, please do not hesitate to contact us. We will have staff on duty at National Matches In-Processing and CMP Headquarters throughout the Matches and at the CMP Competition Results Center at the rear of Rodriguez Range throughout the National Trophy Rifle Matches on 3-7 August. 

Gary Anderson
Director of Civilian Marksmanship