Army Breaks Ground on New Hawthorne Firing Range

The Nevada National Guard hosted a groundbreaking ceremony at noon on Friday, Dec. 5. The event marked the beginning of construction on the Nevada Army National Guard Qualification Training Range. The purpose of the range is to allow Nevada soldiers to meet military marksmanship standards without having to leave the state. It will also become the first and only Department of the Army–approved qualification range in Nevada.

U.S. Sen. Jacky Rosen, U.S. Rep. Mark Amodei, and Nevada Land Component Commander Brig. Gen. Randy I. Lau attended the event. Rosen voiced her support, stating, “I’m glad to see this range being built well ahead of schedule so our National Guardsmen have the resources they need right here in Nevada.”

Since 2019, more than one thousand five hundred soldiers have had to travel out of state each year for marksmanship qualification, with units spending up to four training days at out-of-state ranges. Those four days accounted for 15% of the unit’s total training days. Officials say this limited soldiers’ ability to spend time training on other tasks.

The new Hawthorne Army Depot Record Fire Range facility is a $20 million project. It will include sixteen lanes for rifle training, fifteen lanes for pistol training, four machine gun lanes, and seven buildings. A team of four full-time U.S. Army employees will be responsible for operating the range.