Photo By Sgt. Jeremy Spires | Spc. Jessica Fields, an aviation operations specialist for 4th Inf. Div., and a native...... read more read more
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Appearing to be just a common pile of dirt baskets covered by a metal roof on Basra, what lies inside is something not so common. Within this structure is an archery range for soldiers and civilian contractors to practice and embrace one of the oldest forms of wildlife hunting.
“The Archery Range started when the 34th Inf. Div. was here,” said Sgt. 1st Class Sloan Baker, the non-commissioned officer in charge for Force Protection. “They had some people that were interested in archery, and some major bow hunters.”
Baker has been assisting with the Archery Range since the 36th Inf. Div. arrived in Basra in December. While working in Basra is new, working with a bow is not.
“I have been hunting with a bow for over 15 years now.” said Baker. “I don’t gun hunt at all, I bow hunt year round.”
The Archery Range comes complete with a variety of targets that range in shape and distance from the shooter. That combined with a selection of over 10 different bows to choose from, the range has something to offer everybody from the seasoned bow hunter to the novice.
“If you never shot a bow, and you have thought about wanting to shoot, come out,” said Baker. “We will have you hitting a target within 30 minutes and you will be excited. Everybody that has come out has loved it. Just the camaraderie makes it a great place to be.”
Capt. Ryan B. Cagle, a G6 Planner with Company C, 36th Inf. Div., came to the range to enjoy that camaraderie and learn something new on his day off.
“To be honest, it is close by and I never had the opportunity to do this before so I wanted to try it out,” said Cagle, a first time patron of the Archery Range. “My son just earned his Bow Shooting merit badge from the Boys Scout, so I thought I would give it a try too.”
Certification lasts only a couple of hours and is scheduled for Sunday every week. Once the aspiring archer has been through the class, they are then given permission to access the range practically 24 hours a day.
“It is more like you are at the hunting lease,” said Bake. “That’s why we (cook out). It’s just a place to relax and have a good time and not think you are in Iraq. That’s the first thing I ask people, ‘Do you feel like you are in Iraq?’ and they always answer ‘No.’ When you’re in there, it feels like you’re in another world.”
| Date Taken: | 02.13.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 02.21.2011 08:43 |
| Story ID: | 65816 |
| Location: | IQ |
| Web Views: | 149 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Bows and Arrows help Soldier’s pass the time in Basra, by SGT Jeremy Spires, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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