![The morning after members of the Mass. Guard arrive in Vermont, they drive over to a range where soldiers can practice firing M240, M249, M2A1 .50 caliber machine guns, among others. Currently, soldiers cannot qualify on any of these three weapons in Massachusetts because there’s no range that can accommodate the qualification process.](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/f56eb7f/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1280x851+0+0/resize/880x585!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Ff4%2F81%2F195d6285424389be12e0a651fec5%2Fmgr-photo-4.jpeg)
Elodie Reed / Vermont Public
More about the machine gun range proposed for Cape Cod
![Once on the range, soldiers take in the full view of Bald Hill in the Green Mountains which acts as a distant buffer zone for fired rounds. They’re eventually expected to hit pop-up targets in the open field to complete their qualification requirements.](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/7e3110a/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1280x853+0+0/resize/880x586!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F9b%2F04%2F36cbdf27408e84d8885ccc6b1ea4%2Fmgr-photo-6.jpeg)
Elodie Reed / Vermont Public
![The zeroing range can be divided into four areas: first, the protective zone, where soldiers who aren’t firing watch and wait. Then, just over the protective barrier, soldiers get down onto the ground and begin firing their weapons. Third, there’s the open field that stretches roughly a mile back where the rounds land. And finally, there are the trees and mountains that enclose the area.](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/9f1922b/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1280x831+0+0/resize/880x571!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F99%2F78%2Ffc9e4a9d48c98695953001395622%2Fmgr-photo-8-1.jpeg)
Elodie Reed / Vermont Public
![Spc. Gomes and others who are not firing must remain behind the protective barrier. Soldiers wear ear protection at this range.](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/ba25f2a/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1280x853+0+0/resize/880x586!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F53%2Fea%2F052ec31744a593f0357cd7bd95a2%2Fmgr-photo-1.jpeg)
Elodie Reed / Vermont Public
![Spc. Jasmine Meneide fires the M2A1 .50 caliber machine gun for the first time. “The only reason why I was very nervous and more so in my head is because of safety,” she said. “I want to make sure that I’m in the correct position, no one else is going to get hurt.”](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/e9ab6f6/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1280x853+0+0/resize/880x586!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fc1%2F84%2F42e4f57548c38d1b9135446d5e37%2Fmgr-photo-3.jpeg)
Elodie Reed / Vermont Public
Eve Zuckoff / CAI
![](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/3c5f7b0/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1280x853+0+0/resize/880x586!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F01%2Feb%2F7ce753654412ba517ec35f982878%2Fmgr-photo-11.jpeg)
Elodie Reed / Vermont Public
![Soldiers are expected to hit the one inch long, two-inch-wide so-called “tombstones” on the posterboard target around 20 yards away, adjusting their aim between shots, in order to pass this step in the qualification process.](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/89db536/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1280x853+0+0/resize/880x586!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F67%2F10%2F9088fa0b4b4191de5fca29293e84%2Fmgr-photo-2.jpeg)
Elodie Reed / Vermont Public
![Since the 1930s, the U.S. military has used the .50 cal extensively as a vehicle weapon and for aircraft armament. It is effective against unarmored or lightly armored vehicles and boats, infantry, light fortifications, and low-flying aircraft.](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/f30879f/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1280x853+0+0/resize/880x586!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F60%2F9d%2Fef0e44994cbdad6f14850db71142%2Fmgr-photo-14.jpeg)
Elodie Reed / Vermont Public
![Spc. Meneide, who’s a cosmetologist during the week, joined the military at 17. “One day I saw the word resilience, and I wanted to gain more resilience in life,” she said. “When life happens, you're going to be like a basketball. You're going to bounce right back. And I felt I felt as though joining the military would help me become resilient in life. I'm not going to be an egg and just crack.”](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/49e49f6/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1280x853+0+0/resize/880x586!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Ff6%2F17%2F69a11bff4a16a92c586323d28859%2Fmgr-photo-13.jpeg)
Elodie Reed / Vermont Public
![After about 30 minutes, Spc. Meneide performs adequately and qualifies on the zeroing range – just empty rounds now sit at her feet. “It was exhilarating,” she said. “That's how I can describe it.”](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/a8d0c1c/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1280x853+0+0/resize/880x586!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fb0%2F6f%2F020b7c8d407bb6f7d535df9442d3%2Fmgr-photo-5.jpeg)
Elodie Reed / Vermont Public