When tankers underwent the live-fire target arrays at the National Training Center (NTC), or in Hoenfels, Germany, it is doubtful that any of them called the remote-controlled pop-up tank silhouette targets "Melton targets."

But that's what they were known as by range officials at Fort Cavazos, Texas, Fort Irwin, California, and Hoenfels, as well as officials at the Training Support Center, Fort Eustis, Virginia.

That is because Don Melton, the Project Officer for the development of the National Training Center, designed, tested, and validated the automated targets for tank ranges in 1976.

Then in 1984, he was again the Project Officer for the certification of the Light Infantry Division live fire range at the NTC, including the construction and validation of the system.

Melton, a retired resident of Killeen, is also a retired Army lieutenant colonel.

He joined Project MASSTER in June 1971 and remained with the West Fort Cavazos-based test organization through numerous reorganizations and re-designations until he retired from TEXCOM in August 1991.

He served as a Test Team member on ten tests, the first being Unattended Ground Sensors in 1971. He was the principal test officer on nine tests, the first being the Forward Support Battalion in 1983.

Melton was project officer on five tests and served in leadership positions of Division Chief, Training Developments Test Directorate; Division Chief, Combat Support Test Directorate; and Senior Test Officer and Deputy Director, Engineer Test Directorate.