Ken Privratsky ‘69, remembers firing his .22-caliber rifle in the basement of Eastern’s ROTC building as a young cadet. “It was a smoky, smelly, dirty place,” said Privratsky, whose memories of the room are more vivid than the classrooms where he studied English literature during the height of the Vietnam War in the late ‘60s. By Kandi Carper ‘05 The rifle range was also home of Eastern Washington State College’s marksmanship teams who reigned as champions throughout the 1960s and ‘70s, before the program ended in the 1980s. Thanks to Maj. Gen. Privratsky and other generous ROTC alumni, the rifle range is no longer smoky or dirty, but freshly painted and equipped with high-powered air rifles that give current EWU cadets the opportunity to practice marksmanship – something the general considers a basic skill for all soldiers. The “MG Privratsky Rifle Range” was dedicated Sept. 23, 2011, during the ROTC reunion held on campus. “If you don’t have the opportunity to train young cadets in the basics of marksmanship and safety, you have to do it in the classroom, which isn’t the same,” said Privratsky. Lt. Col. Michael Kirkland, chair of EWU’s Department of Military Science agrees. “Marksmanship is still a very valuable and mandatory skill set for all soldiers, and more importantly, the ability to know and teach marksmanship skills will be invaluable to the cadets commissioning as lieutenants.” After more than three decades, the first marksmanship classes were
offered on campus in January. The range is also used for other purposes during weekly ROTC labs. “It is a very valuable training space, especially when inclement weather will prevent training outdoors,” said Kirkland. The initial marksmanship classes are only available to ROTC cadets. It will be a few years before Eastern will be able to field a marksmanship team such as they did during the championship years. The ability to compete against local schools is almost non-existent, as no other local (Washington or Idaho) universities currently teach or compete in marksmanship programs. When the call went out to ROTC alumni asking for support of a marksmanship program, Privratsky didn’t hesitate. “My wife Kathy (’73, ’69 MA and BA communications disorders) and I remain strong supporters of Eastern. I had the wherewithal to help jump start the program for them. I hope that the program can sustain itself, that it takes on a bigger significance beyond the ROTC Program and I think that it will be good for the university.” “We have several alumni in the local area who regularly donate to the ROTC Foundation Fund,” said Kirkland. “We want all who have donated to
From the 1968 Kinnikinick: The Eastern Rifle team, under the direction of Sgt. Kyle Payne, captured the conference title with a clean sweep. The undefeated marksmen scored their second flawless season in three years.
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