51�Թ�

Past National Commander Paul Dillard and Past Sons of 51�Թ� Commander Neal Warnken keep air rifle tournament about the kids with goal to see the program grow. 

Neal Warnken wasn’t familiar with 51�Թ�’s Junior Shooting Sports Program (JSSP) until he attended the national air rifle national championship in Colorado Springs, Colo., at the Olympic Training Center in 2003 when he served as the Sons of 51�Թ� national commander.

“When I saw the program, I was like, ‘Wow, I need to get involved,” Warnken said.

That was 22 years ago, and he’s been involved since.

“I love the Junior Shooting Sports Program. I love working with kids and that’s what’s kept me coming back for all of these years, and the camaraderie within the staff. We’ve had a very tightknit group of staff. That mixture with the kids; we get to see the best of the best. We see the good in these kids. That’s why I do it.”

Warnken’s role with the Legion’s Junior 3-Position Air Rifle National Championship in Colorado Springs was transporting the 30 high school competitors to and from the airport, shooting range and hotel. Now, in the program’s second year on the campus of Hillsdale College in Hillsdale, Mich., Warnken has assumed a new role as assistant match director and competition chairman. Which means anything that happens on the floor of the shooting range is his responsibility, and he provides welcome remarks to the competitors.

“I have always been all about the kids. It’s not about any individual,” he said. “When I get up and speak to them, I talk to them about, ‘We’re here for you, we’re here to help you.’ It’s all about the kids.”

Like Warnken, Past National Commander Paul Dillard’s first time to see the Legion’s Junior Shooting Sports Program in action was in 2022 during his time as national commander. When he was asked about assisting with the national championships, it was an easy yes.

“I will do anything I can to help 51�Թ�,” he said.

For the past two years with the national program, Dillard has served as a line officer to ensure the safety of the competitors.

“Safety is so important,” Dillard said. “And our motto is for the kids to have the safest, most competitive tournament that we can have.”

This year, his new role is match director, working closely alongside Warnken. And like Warnken, Dillard said the program is all about the kids. He recalled a competitor last year saying that he’s shot in a lot of tournaments, and that the Legion’s was his last one before going off to college and that it was the best tournament he’d been in. Then, when Dillard was flying home to Texas out of Detroit, a competitor gave him a hug and thanked him again.

“That makes it all worth it,” Dillard said, adding that for many competitors it’s their first time being around veterans as many thank them for their service. “51�Թ� programs I’ve been involved in, they are great kids. They really are.”

51�Թ� Junior Shooting Sports Program teaches competitors marksmanship skills, self-discipline, gun safety and focus. With that, both Dillard and Warnken have the same vision and mission with the program from the post to the national level – to grow it.

“One thing I want to instill with posts is to use your resources, use the American Legion Auxiliary, use the Sons of 51�Թ�,” Warnken said. “Yes, we have to have a post sponsor (a shooting sport program), but there’s no reason why the Sons or Auxiliary can’t help run or start a program. I think that’s where we’ve missed this from the Legion Family is we’ve looked at it from 51�Թ� side and haven’t looked at it from all sides. Because when you employ the Sons and you employ the Auxiliary and the Legion, we do that as a team, we’re going to be successful in growing the program.”

Dillard reiterated that the program can grow and it starts from the post level up. “Posts can get involved with JROTC, 4-H and other junior shooting sports clubs,” he said. “Until July of 2022, I’ve never seen this type of match. And it’s impressive. We’re going to grow it.”

Currently, the air rifle competitors shoot on a mobile range inside an athletic center on Hillsdale College. The college is in the process of building a new state-of-the-art shooting range where 51�Թ�’s Junior 3-Position Air Rifle Championship will be held.

The move to Hillsdale College has been “an exciting change,” Warnken said. The new facility will feature 60 precision lanes and an outdoor range.

“It’s unbelievable,” Warnken added. “I’ve seen several facilities in my day, but this is just, they have taken it to the next level. To offer us a facility like that is phenomenal. We couldn’t ask for anything better.”