Mark your calendars as the Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) will again welcome competitors and guests to its annual Talladega D-Day rifle and pistol event, set to be held June 7-11, 2023, at Talladega Marksmanship Park in Alabama. Registration is currently open, so sign up now to join in on this commemorative occasion!

Talladega’s D-Day celebration honors the anniversary of the 1944 Allied Forces landing at France’s Normandy Beach. The event allows visitors to pay homage to the valiant heroes of the World War II generation through diverse marksmanship competitions and activities scattered throughout the 500 acres of Talladega Marksmanship Park. Guests will also be able to fully immerse themselves within the Talladega Hall of Heroes display in the Club House, which displays authentic memorabilia from local veterans.

The 2023 D-Day event will include the return of contemporary match favorites like the Garand Iron Man EIC Rifle Match, where competitors fire a Service M1 Garand or As-Issued M1 Garand toward possible Excellence-In-Competition (EIC) points. A Rimfire Sporter Rifle Benchrest Match, which incorporates the use of sandbags for increased stabilization for competitors as they fire .22 rifles in O-, T- or TU classes, and a Benchrest Vintage Match are ideal for those just beginning in rifle competition or those with ailments, eager to get back on the range.

The Roosevelt Commemorative Match, using vintage M1903 Springfield or U.S. Krag rifles, will further tribute military firearms of the past through friendly, recreational competition. CMP’s traditional schedule of select Games events such as the GSMM, Carbine and Vintage Sniper rifle matches will intertwine with a series of popular pistol competitions, like the 1911 As-Issued and Military & Police matches.

For the first time at D-Day, those competing in the John C. Garand Match with As-Issued M1 Rifles will have the chance to earn points towards a GCA (Garand Collectors Association) Marksman Medal. Like other disciplines within CMP’s Distinguished Badge Program, the GCA Marksmanship Medal will work on an Achievement Award point system, based on performance at designated events.

Individuals at the Talladega D-Day event are also able to engage in CMP’s educational opportunities, including the M1 Maintenance Clinic, Range Officer Level II course and the GSMM New Shooter Clinic – each presenting a more concentrated look into the inner workings of rifle preservation and competition fundamentals, led by certified marksmanship professionals.

Outside of regular D-Day competition, Talladega Marksmanship Park offers even more to explore with a shotgun trap field, two 5-stand fields and a 15-station sporting clays field with automated trap machines. Also, be sure to check out the park’s Unknown Distance Range, featuring 12 metal targets in the shape of life-size animals (including elk, deer, bears and hogs) and CMP’s own Archery Range. Both are only a short walk or golf cart ride away from the D-Day events on the grounds of Talladega.

Come be part of the festivities on this special date in U.S history. For more information on Talladega D-Day, visit https://thecmp.org/cmp-matches/talladega-d-day-matches/.

About Talladega Marksmanship Park:

Talladega Marksmanship Park, “The Home of Marksmanship,” hosts rifle, pistol, shotgun and archery opportunities for guests to enjoy. The park Club House consists of 13,000 square feet of useable space and includes CMP’s Pro Shop, which is loaded with firearms, ammunition, shooting accessories and CMP memorabilia.

The facility is open to the public all year long, Wednesday through Sunday. Find a list of monthly events and other happenings at the Talladega Marksmanship Park by visiting the CMP website at https://thecmp.org/ranges/talladega-marksmanship-park/.

-- By Ashley Dugan, CMP Staff Writer

The Civilian Marksmanship Program is a federally chartered 501 (c) (3) non-profit corporation. It is dedicated to firearm safety and marksmanship training and to the promotion of marksmanship competition for citizens of the United States. For more information about the CMP and its programs, log onto www.TheCMP.org.

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