JBER Hosts youth shotgun league

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Javier Alvarez
  • JBER Public Affairs
JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska --  Neon-orange clay pigeons fly the coop, as members of the Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson Clay Bears yell, “Pull,” at the JBER Trap and Skeet range.

Either through gravity or pinpoint accuracy a sea of shattered disks coats the trap and skeet range with the orange afterglow of the clay plumage.

The first JBER Youth Shotgun League, in association with the Rabbit Creek Youth Shotgun League, welcomed seven trap and skeet enthusiasts Sept. 12, 2016.

The JBER youth league is a joint venture between 673d Force Support Squadron and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.

Participants who have enrolled in or completed the Hunter Education course thought the ADF&G can attend the JBER Trap and Skeet Range Mondays at 6:30 p.m. The ten-week league is open to interested youth ages 10 to 15.

Owning a gun is not a requirement when participating in the JBER Youth Shotgun League, said Marc Coulombe, volunteer coach with the JBER Clay Bears. The entrance fee pays for shells, gun rental, range time and trophies.

People who missed entry this fall season can look forward to the spring season, scheduled to begin March, 2017.

While the JBER Clay Bears might be in the same league as the Rabbit Creek Youth Shotgun League, the difficulty in venue is significantly different to begin with, Coulombe said.

In the Rabbit Creek league, coaches set up the shots to meet the skill level of the shooter; at the JBER Trap and Skeet Range, similar accommodations are not possible, he said.

The heart skips a beat as participants send blasts from their shotguns down the range. The pull of the trigger unlocks the intense gunpowder aroma.

“It’s really fun and satisfying to watch a new shooter hit something for the first time,” Coulombe said. “They all have to turn around and smile at everybody.”

Coaches stress, “It’s not just pulling the trigger. Technique is very important.”

JBER Youth Shotgun League coaches have more than 43 years of combined experience with firearms.

“I’ve been shooting at this range for 31 years,” Coulombe said. “I first shot on this range in 1985, which is hard to believe. It looks almost the same except the clubhouse is a lot nicer.”

Hosting the youth shotgun league at JBER allows people living near the installation the freedom to commit to and enroll their kids in the league.

“[The Rabbit Creek League ] is hosted a long way from here. For a military dependent, or someone getting off at 5 or 6 p.m., the last thing they feel like doing is driving their kid across town.”

“It is important for me to have [my son] participate,” said Air Force Maj. Christopher Smith, 3rd Maintenance Squadron commander. “I think the younger you can get [kids] exposed to guns, the less fear there will be. And they will have a better understanding of what their purpose is.”

To join the JBER Youth Shotgun League and become a JBER Clay Bear, contact the JBER Trap and Skeet Range at 384-1480.