# Department of Energy Standard Targets



## GTGallop (Nov 11, 2012)

I understand the need to have a standard man sized target for law enforcement, military, para-military. I can even see where the roles of some of these agencies (Coast Guard vs Highway Patrol) may need different target standards and have their own version. But...

While shooting at Ben Avery the other week, I noticed I was using a DOE Standard Target. Immediately I assumed Department of Energy, but I kept trying to rationalize that back to something else.

Department of Enforcement?
Department of Espionage?
Department of........ Someone help me, I'm running out of answers.

So I asked and sure enough it is the *Department of Energy*. Does it bother me that the DOE has their own standard target?  Yes - a little. Does the DOE NEED a target? Protection of nuclear power plants was the answer, and I'm OK with that, but do they NEED a target of their own? Do they shoot that much? Couldn't they buy off of the FBI or DOD contract and get those targets too?

It just seems wasteful to me as well as a little creepy that they have their own target. Kinda like if you found out the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration had their own target.

Is the DOE target any better than the rest?


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## paraquack (Mar 1, 2013)

GTGallop said:


> I understand the need to have a standard man sized target for law enforcement, military, para-military. I can even see where the roles of some of these agencies (Coast Guard vs Highway Patrol) may need different target standards and have their own version. But...
> 
> While shooting at Ben Avery the other week, I noticed I was using a DOE Standard Target. Immediately I assumed Department of Energy, but I kept trying to rationalize that back to something else.
> 
> ...


Since National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) bought those 6 million rounds of .40 cal., I wonder if they have they're own targets?

View attachment 6721


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## James m (Mar 11, 2014)

Didn't the noaa have a weather squadron. And didn't they have spy planes masked as weather research in the past. I think it was rb-57 and modified b-47 stratojets. They were shooting at them while they were in Scandinavia coming back from spying on Russia.


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## paraquack (Mar 1, 2013)

I know about the Canberras but I don't remember the B-47s, and of course the RB-36s.


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## dannydefense (Oct 9, 2013)

GTGallop said:


> So I asked and sure enough it is the *Department of Energy*. Does it bother me that the DOE has their own standard target? Yes - a little. Does the DOE NEED a target? Protection of nuclear power plants was the answer, and I'm OK with that, but do they NEED a target of their own? Do they shoot that much? Couldn't they buy off of the FBI or DOD contract and get those targets too?
> 
> It just seems wasteful to me as well as a little creepy that they have their own target. Kinda like if you found out the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration had their own target.
> 
> Is the DOE target any better than the rest?


DOE is actually very military in nature, if anyone wasn't already aware of that. They are almost wholly in charge of Kirtland AFB out here in New Mexico, and contract to a variety of high tech civilian companies for research on cyber defense as well as a variety of other goals such as bigger better bombs. It's not a big separation from nuclear power to nuclear subs, or nuclear bombs, makes sense to me I guess. Follow that down the government path of every department being a committee of sorts. Committee's want their own designated coffee pots, their own coffee cups, and their own shooting targets.


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## CWOLDOJAX (Sep 5, 2013)

dannydefense said:


> DOE is actually very military in nature, if anyone wasn't already aware of that. They are almost wholly in charge of Kirtland AFB out here in New Mexico, and contract to a variety of high tech civilian companies for research on cyber defense as well as a variety of other goals such as bigger better bombs. It's not a big separation from nuclear power to nuclear subs, or nuclear bombs, makes sense to me I guess. Follow that down the government path of every department being a committee of sorts. Committee's want their own designated coffee pots, their own coffee cups, and their own shooting targets.


DannyD is right. 
I was in an outfit where our security trained with DOE folks in the 90s.


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## Smitty901 (Nov 16, 2012)

Has it not been the trend to turn ever Government agency into it's own military Unit, then bring them all together under the DHS ?


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## Inor (Mar 22, 2013)

dannydefense said:


> DOE is actually very military in nature, if anyone wasn't already aware of that. They are almost wholly in charge of Kirtland AFB out here in New Mexico, and contract to a variety of high tech civilian companies for research on cyber defense as well as a variety of other goals such as bigger better bombs. It's not a big separation from nuclear power to nuclear subs, or nuclear bombs, makes sense to me I guess. Follow that down the government path of every department being a committee of sorts. Committee's want their own designated coffee pots, their own coffee cups, and their own shooting targets.


In the mid 90's I had a contract with DOE at Rocky Flats, CO. That was where they used to make the nuclear triggers for all of our nuclear weapons. That was a FAR scarier place than any military base I have ever been to.


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## Camel923 (Aug 13, 2014)

This has been rampant in the Federal government. Arming to the teeth with the EPA, Education, and so on. I will wear the tin hat and comment that it would appear that the executive branch at the consent of Congress wants to be able to dominate any situation it chooses. Departments will compete for larger training budgets so more shows of force (pushing average Joes around) in a high profile way to show we can shoot mothers with infants in their arms (Ruby Ridge) or roast entire church congregations while alive ( Branch Dividians in Waco) if you do not genuflect at the Alter of your Federal Overlords. More frequent and more egregious instances will result from each department wanting to top the other as to gain stature and importance. Kind of the way the different branches of the Third Reich competed for Hitler's Favor.


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