John MH wrote:The bean counters in the MoD really could do with embracing civilian rifle clubs, especially now because of the defence cuts. With the plan of around a third of our military to be formed with reservists, how else could their effectiveness be maintained with next to little outlay from the MoD? By encouraging reservists to join clubs and compete in shooting at their own expense! It's actually a no-brainer...... There is plenty of worth in promoting this.
Don’t dispute that and this was the basis of the original formation of the NRA to assist in developing skills that could be used in the defence of the realm. Unfortunately that concept is not going to be of much use in convincing the current crop of politicians, very few of which have served in the military, nor the great unwashed masses who read the Sun and Daily Mail. Nor will it guarantee you access to MoD Ranges in the future. The future plans for the army and the increased use of reservists is not going to wash well either, lots believe they can get all the skills they need from paying on an X-Box and recruiting into the reserves to meet the future required numbers is just not happening at the moment.
And can you imagine the Sun and Daily Mail editorials if the MoD came out with that sort of thing publicly?
"TRAINING MURDERERS: How defence bosses want town gun clubs to teach lethal weapon skills to your kids"
I understand that current military thinking on skills training is that it's easier to start with a blank canvas than it is to take someone with existing skills and try to reshape those into the desired military result. I read an AAIB report a little while ago into a minor helicopter crash (student thumped into ground too hard on a solo landing practice exercise, helo unsurprisingly gave up the ghost about half an hour later) and, amongst the other factors, the investigators highlighted how the student pilot's fixed-wing PPL experience had made it harder for him to progress within the military flying training system because he was having to unlearn his previous training and then absorb the military way of doing things.
Why would it be any different for marksmanship? Given that we do precious little fire-with-movement, or firing from cover, or even practice in the use of self-loading rifles, I can't see how civilian rifle clubs nowadays could support the MoD in any meaningful way.
