The AR pattern manual (the CM-3) is the starting point for most AR owners as it contains overarching concepts and basic technical skills that are the bedrock to build on. Mastering the tasks in CM-3 builds a foundation for you to continue to develop and train more complex skillsets or can assist in sharpening your skills as an AR owner. Understand that this manual is just a starting point that provides some of the necessary foundational competences to build upon with the skills and tasks contained in the other Professional Citizen series manuals and guides. CM-3 covers myths about the AR that we have all heard but maybe weren't sure if they were valid, zeroing procedures, positional shooting, ballistics, maintenance and cleaning just to list a few of the subjects. This book though, while it will be familiar to those who have read the 3-22.9, is a passion project from Mike after applying those terms and techniques for close to a decade. In 2015, they were theory but as close to truth as we could make it. What you have in the following pages is refinement after refinement with tens of thousands of rounds fired using those old words. It has been validated in competition, testing and training hundreds of times. If it hasn't happened already, it won't be long until they are validated under combat operations. - Ash Hess