Rare, id Software, Raven Software, Epic Games...these guys are part of a handful of companies out there that can claim that they have the most experience with first-person shooters. And while there's no doubting their abilities as great game developers, no one--and we mean no one--knows shooters like the United States Army. Talk about inventing the genre--this talented group of individuals has been involved in some form of shooting for more than 225 years, so it only makes sense that they've finally decided to make a game that chronicles their exploits. First unveiled at this year's E3 in Los Angeles, America's Army will be the first game to be developed by the actual US Army, and surprisingly enough, it's quite good.

As you've probably heard by now, America's Army is actually two games in one. The first component of America's Army is called Soldiers, and it's basically an adventure game that uses full-motion video to introduce players to the "values" of the Army--it's more or less a somewhat interactive marketing tool for the armed services. The second portion of the game is called Operations, and it's the one that's been creating all of the recent hubbub. Operations is a first-person shooter that uses Epic Games' impressive Unreal technology in an attempt to re-create the various training and military action that a typical soldier in the US Army might go through. It'll let you experience army life without signing yours away to Uncle Sam. Over the July 4th weekend, the US Army will release a "recon" version of America's Army: Operations, and it will have 10 of the final game's 19 levels. We enlisted in the Army's beta program a few weeks ago, and we're impressed with what we've seen so far.

The gun models are extremely detailed, and feature many moving parts.

Operations is primarily a squad-based multiplayer game not unlike Counter-Strike. You pick a team to play as, you select your primary weapon, and you try to eliminate the bad guys. But before you're allowed to go out on the battlefield, you, like every soldier, have to go through boot camp first. Unlike the real thing, however, doing so in Operations is a snap. You'll simply create an online persona by picking a unique handle and password, and then you'll participate in the first of several training sessions, this one for rifle marksmanship. Normally, this portion of training takes place between weeks three and five of boot camp, but you'll be able to complete it within a few minutes. It's here that you'll really start to appreciate the Unreal engine's graphical prowess. The training takes place at Fort Benning in Georgia, and the firing range is an expansive outdoor area that overlooks a wooded region. Like Operation Flashpoint, America's Army: Operations lets you see for miles on end--only this game runs a lot smoother and, quite frankly, looks a lot better than last year's shooter from Bohemia Interactive. You'll have to pick off human-size targets at ranges that exceed 300 meters, but you'll have no problem spotting the farthest of these orange metal cutouts. The weapon models are also highly detailed and are composed of numerous moving parts. You'll qualify with the Colt M16A2, and you'll easily make out your character's hands fiddle over every aspect of this assault rifle during training. The gun models are so detailed that you'll be able to spot the .223 cartridge in the firing chamber when you lock and load a new magazine.

MILES gear makes a safe hobby of shooting someone in the face.

You'll be given 40 rounds to hit all the targets, and you'll need to hit 23 to qualify as a marksman and move on to the next phase of training. Interestingly enough, you can also qualify as a sharpshooter by nailing 30 targets and as an expert if you successfully get 36 of the 40 targets. Players who earn an expert qualification will be eligible to move on to sniper school, where they'll learn to shoot with the M-24 and the M-82 rifles. Not everyone who plays Operations will be able to qualify for sniper school, and not everyone who moves on to sniper school will finish it. Those skilled enough to do so, however, will be part of an elite few players who will actually get to play against others online using either of the powerful M-24 or M-82 sniper rifles, making them a deadly addition to any squad of players. Unfortunately, sniper school won't be available in the recon version, but read on to find out what will be.