Coast Guard could build firing range at Camp Edwards

BOURNE, Mass. --Camp Edwards on the Massachusetts Military Reservation is one of two sites being considered for new firing ranges needed to train Coast Guard anti-terrorist units, officials say.

The "shoot houses," which would be configured to look like the inside of a ship or building, would be used by elite Coast Guard teams to train for close-quarters small arms combat.

After the 2001 terrorist attacks, the Coast Guard expanded its anti-terrorism and port security duties, which included the creation of 12 Maritime Safety and Security Teams.

Coast Guard members from around the region already use the base to train and a new firing range would add to that mission, said John Kondratowicz, commanding officer of the Boston team.

"It trains advanced SWAT teams -- tactical teams, not your everyday law enforcement guys -- to go into spaces and rid the space of any threat," Kondratowicz said.

The Massachusetts Military Reservation and a Coast Guard training area in Miami are in the running to host the ranges, Coast Guard officials said.

The shoot houses would fit into a plan to turn Camp Edwards into a regional anti-terrorism training center that could be used by a variety of military and nonmilitary agencies.

"This is an area where there is potential for us to make improvements and develop capabilities that we can use in partnership to make the (Massachusetts Military Reservation) more relevant to whoever is on board and the community," said Howard Wright, a spokesman for Air Station Cape Cod.

The Coast Guard already operates a small indoor firing range at the reservation. It gets frequent use, especially since all outdoor small arms firing has been suspended because of environmental concerns.

The new proposal "is in keeping with the mission and the vision of the base," said Mark Forest, an aide U.S. Rep. William Delahunt, D-Mass., whose district includes the base.

There have been concerns about the environmental impact of former shooting ranges on the sprawling base, but any new facility for the Coast Guard will meet high environmental standards.

The Coast Guard, Massachusetts National Guard and state range experts are working together to determine what kind of "green" technology can be used.

One possibility is the use of copper bullets instead of traditional lead ammunition.

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Information from: Cape Cod Times, http://www.capecodonline.com