BLAKELY, Ga. – Shots were fired Thursday afternoon, but instead of running away, hundreds of people were flocking to the source.
The American International Marksmanship Academy, a shooting and training center located on U.S. 27 in Blakely, held its grand opening Thursday, offering the public a glimpse at the 2,300-acre facility.
“I decided we needed a place where we could do real-world training without being on a regular range, so we could train for what’s going on in the law enforcement and military world,” said Marc Masoner, CEO and founder of AIM and a former Army Ranger. “(Law enforcement agencies) love it. They’ve got a place now where they can come do whatever they want to do. My passion is the military, so I want to make sure those guys get everything they need.”
In addition to offering training to law enforcement agencies, Masoner and his team consisting of ex-soldiers will also teach civilians, including children, how to properly handle firearms.
“We have a huge law enforcement and military presence, but one of our big focuses is be going to be teaching (civilians) how to operate weapons safely and enjoy the sport,” Masoner said. “We can do anything here from basic line shooting to helicopter shooting.”
Kim Vidal, who worked for the U.S. Marine Corps for 25 years, attended the grand opening and was impressed by what she saw.
“I like seeing this type of stuff coming to Blakely,” said Vidal, who lives in Fort Gaines. “It’s unbelievable what they’ve done in three months. I’ll be out here shooting. It’s gonna bring a lot of jobs in the future and stability for the community. The people involved in it really care about Blakely.”
Edward Evans is hopeful about the jobs that could be brought to the area through the academy.
“I’m real excited about this, because it’s gonna bring jobs to Early County,” Evans said. “I lost my job six months ago, and Im hoping maybe I can get on out here. If not out here, it’ll bring more industry and businesses here to Early County and maybe I’ll get a job somewhere else. I’m very impressed. It looks great. I did not know they had done this much work.”
Masoner said he appreciates the community as much as it appreciates the academy.
“This town has been real supportive, and they’re great,” he said. “I definitely picked the right place, no doubt. The county was real receptive and worked with us to help get this done.”
AIM’s classes can be found on its website, www.marksmanshipacademy.com.
Email
Facebook
Google
Twitter
Favorites
More
Advertisement