Army shooting champion retires  Army shooting champion retires  By Paula J. Randall Pagán U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit Public Affairs Office FORT BENNING, Ga. - A shooting champion should always go out with a bang. And that's exactly what Maj. Stephen C. Goff, an international rifle shooter with the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit, did when he retired September 1 with more than 21 years of military service. At the Conseil International du Sport Militaire (CISM) Shooting Championships in Lahti, Finland, in July, Goff not only was a member of the winning U.S. CISM Shooting Team, but he was also a member of the U.S. CISM Rifle Team that won the Gold Medal and set a new world record in 300 Meter Standard Rifle and he won the Individual 300 Meter Standard Rifle Three-Position Championship. Goff, who started shooting in 1973, has numerous shooting accomplishments. In his 16 years with the Army Marksmanship Unit, Goff won 30 CISM Medals, 17 medals in international (ISSF) championships, 57 National Championships and has set 54 National Records. The 15-time National Rifle Champion was inducted into the Marksmanship Unit International Rifle Hall of Fame in 1996. "I give credit to the Army for all my successes; without the Army and the Army Marksmanship Unit, I would never have been able to attain a lot of these accomplishments," Goff said. "I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to be at AMU with elite athletes and to be provided the resources and training available from the military." But after two decades of competing in national and international competitions in two dozen countries, Goff retired from the U.S. Army and said goodbye to the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit. "I want to thank my coach, Mr. (William) Krilling, and commanders, past and present, who afforded me the opportunity to be here and to serve in the unit. I also want to thank my teammates who pushed me by providing tough competition for me. That's why the AMU works so well, because you're shooting against the best everyday." Raised in Leavenworth, Kan., Goff graduated from Leavenworth Senior High School in 1976. He continued his education at Pittsburgh State University in Pittsburgh, Kansas and graduated with a bachelor's degree in automotive technology in 1980 before joining the Army in May of that year. After joining the Army and completing the Ordnance Officers Basic Course at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, Goff's first assignment was as an executive officer in Korea. After this yearlong tour, he was assigned to the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit in 1981. He attended the Sniper and Counter Sniper Course and Instructor Training Course at Fort Benning in 1982. Goff remained with the Marksmanship Unit through 1984, when he was transferred to the Ordnance Officer Advanced Course with follow on assignment at Fort Carson, Colo., to serve as a maintenance officer. He returned to the Army Marksmanship Unit in 1986, attended the Combined Arms Staff Services School at Fort Leavenworth, Kan., in 1988 and remained with the Marksmanship Unit through 1992. He then transferred to the Arkansas National Guard and attended the Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, graduating in 1995. Goff has been awarded two Meritorious Service Medals, six Army Commendation Medals, three Army Achievement Medals, the Distinguished International Shooter Badge, the Distinguished Rifleman Badge and the Distinguished Pistol Shot Badge.  In the recent 300-Meter National Championships, Goff not only won Silver Medals in the 300-Meter Free Rifle Prone, 300-Meter Free Rifle Three Position and 300-Meter Standard Rifle Three Position National Championships, but he was also selected to be a member of the U.S. Shooting Team that is scheduled to compete at the Championship of the Americas next month at Fort Benning. The CAT Games, Campeonato de Tiro de las Americas, is the shooting championships for the Western Hemisphere, which is conducted every four years. The CAT Games is one of major international championships, along with the Olympics, World Championships, World Cups and Pan-American Games, where shooters are try out to represent their country and can set world records. At the CAT games, U.S. shooters get to compete against other teams from North, Central and South America for the title of being the best in the Americas. "I will still compete - for fun - once in awhile, but to be the best, you have to do it everyday," Goff said. "Now that I'm retired, I will make up for lost time with family and friends, enjoy things and take some time for myself. I will miss the people at the AMU the most. It's not the shooting; it's the people you miss the most - the camaraderie, the team spirit, the esprit de corps. I hope people remember me as a contributing team member. "I'm very satisfied with my career," Goff said. "When I look back at my accomplishments, it's very difficult to ask for anything more. I have no regrets...none whatsoever." (Formed in 1956 by President Dwight D. Eisenhower to raise the standards of marksmanship throughout the U.S. Army, the Army Marksmanship Unit has been a part of the U. S. Army Recruiting Command since October 1999. The Marksmanship Unit trains its soldiers to win competitions and enhances combat readiness through train-the-trainer clinics, research and development. The world-class soldier-athletes of the USAMU also promote the Army and assist recruiters in attracting young Americans to enlist in the Army. For more information on the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit, contact the Public Affairs Office at (706) 545-5436, paula.pagan@usarec.army.mil or http://www.usarec.army.mil/hq/amu/.)