Awards ceremonies at the National Matches will be held in front of CMP Headquarters, not within Hough Theatre, as in previous years.

BY ASHLEY BRUGNONE, CMP STAFF WRITER

The Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) has presented updated information on restrictions previously set for the 2021 National Matches. The matches will be held at Camp Perry in July and August. Updates include new information on awards ceremonies, Distinguished Badge pinning, range occupation and mask regulations.

Awards Ceremonies:

• The CMP is happy to announce the awards ceremonies at the 2021 National Matches, previously cancelled due to Covid-19 restrictions, are back on the schedule. However, the ceremonies will be in a different format.
• Unlike past years, the ceremonies will not be within their traditional location of Hough Theatre but will instead take place in front of the CMP Headquarters, unless otherwise noted, and will be in a more informal setting. The CMP made the hard decision to hold more informal award ceremonies due to the time available for planning purposes, issuing awards and allowing competitors proper spacing.
• Also, unlike past years, not every award for each match will be recognized during the ceremonies due to time constraints and availability of some awards. An award pickup for certain match categories will be available in the CMP Welcome Center, where check-in is held.

The current awards schedule includes:

• July 16 – Pistol Championship Awards
• July 17 – Pistol National Trophy Awards
• July 18 – CMP Games Pistol Awards
• July 29 – CMP Cup Awards
• August 2 – Rifle President 100 Awards (on range following Shoot-Off)
• August 4 – National Jr. Team and Hearst Doubles Awards
• August 6 – National Trophy Individual, National Trophy Team, National Infantry Team and Aggregate Awards
• August 8 – National CMP Games Awards
• August 9 – Vintage Sniper Match Awards

The awards for the M9 and M16 matches that accompany the Small Arms Firing Schools will be given in front of CMP Headquarters after the completion of each event. Long Range individual awards will be distributed 30 minutes after firing is completed each day, with aggregate awards given the last day of competition. Smallbore awards are currently in discussion.

Distinguished Badge Pinning:

• An honored tradition in previous years, those receiving a Distinguished Badge may be recognized during the informal Pistol & Rifle award ceremonies, if they choose, but will not be pinned. Those competitors choosing not to attend the 2021 Distinguished award ceremonies will be able to attend in 2022.
• Pinning will continue at the 2022 National Matches. Distinguished competitors with questions may email Competitions@TheCMP.org.

All firing points will be used on the Camp Perry ranges throughout the National Matches.

Range/Match Information:

• All of CMP’s matches will utilize every firing point instead of every-other, as previously reported.
• Springfield Armory will be keeping their 300-yard M1A Match, set to fire Aug. 8, traditional – meaning the CMP will not be allowing any rifles with optics or cheek pieces. All rifles may be the traditional match grade with iron sights. Please refer to the errata sheet for changes. CMP rules have also been updated to reflect these updates.
• Additionally, current mask regulations state that individuals are not required to wear a mask while outdoors, but are free to do so based on their own level of comfort. Masks are still recommended for unvaccinated guests indoors, while in close proximity to others.

The Springfield Armory M1A Match will be kept traditional, competing with match grade rifles with iron sights only.

Questions on this and other information about the National Matches may be directed to the Competitions Department at 419-635-2141 ext. 714 or Competitions@TheCMP.org. Discover all the 2021 National Matches has to offer by visiting the CMP website at https://thecmp.org/competitions/matches/cmp-national-matches/.

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.