News from the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit

USAMU Service Team takes top spots at National Rifle Matches

By Paula J. Randall Pagán
U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit Public Affairs Office

CAMP PERRY, Ohio - Service rifle shooters from the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit of Fort Benning, Ga., brought home armloads of trophies, plaques, medals and certificates from the Civilian Marksmanship Program National Trophy Rifle Matches and the NRA National High Power Rifle Championships, held July 30 to Aug. 12 at Camp Perry, Ohio, on the banks of Lake Erie.

Shooting the USAMU's modified M-16A2 rifle, USAMU service rifle shooter and gunsmith SFC Kevin McMahon triumphed over 1,309 other shooters to win the President's Rifle Match with a score of 298 points out of a possible 300 points and 15 of a possible 30 Xs. For the win, McMahon received the President's Rifle Trophy, a presentation M1 Garand rifle, a President's One-Hundred Medallion and a letter of congratulations from the President of the United States.

McMahon also won the NRA National Service Rifle Championship with a score of 2333-90X in the four-day championship aggregate. McMahon also was the high service rifle shooter in the NRA National High Power Rifle Long Range Championship.

SFC Grant Singley, the 1996 President's Hundred Champion, took second place in the 2002 President's Rifle Match with a 298-13X total. SFC Lance Dement, a 2000 U. S. Olympic team member in running target, Staff Sergeants Norman Anderson, Christopher Hatcher, Kyle Ward, Lance Hopper, Sergeants Robby Johnson, Robert Mango, Emil Praslick III, Specialists Joseph Bartoli and Aaron Rebout were also awarded President's Hundred Tabs. 		 


SFC Kevin McMahon of the U. S. Army Marksmanship Unit won the 2002 President's Match and the NRA National Service Rifle Championship while using an M-16A2 rifle that was produced by the USAMU shop.

In the CMP’s National Trophy Individual Match, Singley came in second overall out of 1,269 people, only 1 point behind the winner, USMCR SSgt. David Karcher of Colorado Springs, Colorado. Singley received the Association of the U.S. Army Trophy as the high Army competitor in that match and the 25th Infantry Division Trophy as the high Infantry competitor.

USAMU shooters winning Gold Medals in the National Trophy Individual Match, besides Singley, were McMahon, Bartoli, Dement, Hopper, Praslick, Anderson, Johnson, SSG Tobie Tomlinson and SPC Elisha Hoover. Hatcher, Rebout and PFC Liana Bombardier received Silver Medals, while Ward and SFC Scott Boyd earned Bronze Medals.

The USAMU Team of McMahon, Singley, Dement, Anderson, Hopper and Hoover beat 82 other teams to win the coveted National Trophy Rifle Team Match. The team coach was SFC Charles Coffey and Ward was the team captain. The USAMU Team of Anderson, Hoover, Hopper, Singley, Mango, Praslick, Boyd and Tomlinson won the National Trophy Infantry Team Match. SFC Coffey was the coach and the Captain was SFC Steven Young.

The USAMU Service Rifle Team won the Enlisted Men's Trophy Team Match; Coffey was the coach, Tomlinson was the captain and the shooters were McMahon, Singley, Anderson and Hopper.

Sharpshooters can try out for Army Pistol Team

U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit Public Affairs Office

FORT BENNING, Ga. -- The U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit is looking for a few good shooters.

The highly competitive U. S. Army Pistol Team is putting out its annual call for soldiers who are interested in competing in pistol competitions in the summer of 2003. Soldiers in the rank of staff sergeant and below with less than 15 years of service who obtain approval from their commanders can travel to Fort Benning in April at the expense of the Marksmanship Unit to participate in initial training. The soldiers are trained in advanced marksmanship skills and will participate in the Interservice Championships in June and the National Matches in July. After the three-month tour, soldiers return to their units with invaluable marksmanship training that can be utilized by unit trainers to improve the marksmanship skills of their soldiers.

Interested soldiers should contact SFC Charles Gibbs, NCOIC, USAMU Service Pistol Team, at (706) 545-7022 or 545-3893 or DSN 835-7022 or e-mail: Charles.Gibbs@usarec.army.mil.


USAMU hosting selection match for Pan-Am Games Team

By Paula J. Randall Pagán
U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit Public Affairs Office

FORT BENNING, Ga. - Hundreds of athletes from around the country will test their shooting skills at the USA Shooting Fall Selection Match. This match is the first to two selection matches that will determine the composition of the 2003 U.S. Pan-American Games Shooting Team.

The U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit will host the matches Sept. 25 to Oct. 13 for all Olympic shooting events except Running Target, which will be conducted at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado on Oct. 2 to 5. USA Shooting, the national governing body for Olympic shooting sports in the United States, sponsors the selection matches. The second and final selection match for the U.S. Pan-American Games Team is currently scheduled to be conducted in April at Fort Benning.

The 2003 Pan-Am Games will be held in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, in August. The Pan-American Games constitute an Olympic-style shooting championship for the Western Hemisphere and are conducted every four years. Not only can shooters win medals and set world records at the Pan-American Games, but the Pan-Am Games are the last chance for shooters in the Western Hemisphere to win quota slots for their countries to compete in the 2004 Olympic Games.

USAMU soldiers win competitions

U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit Public Affairs Office

Shooters of the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit of Fort Benning, Ga., have scored more major victories recently. Here are some of their accomplishments:

• Shotgun World Cup, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Aug. 15 to 25 - USAMU shotgun shooter SFC Todd Graves won the Gold Medal in the Skeet World Cup and won an Olympic Country Quota slot for the United States for the 2004 Olympics. Graves and SPC Mark Weeks also won the Team Gold Medal in Skeet. SFC Bret Erickson joined with Major Dominic Grazioli, USAFR, to win the Team Gold Medal in Trap and SGT William Keever received a Team Bronze Medal in Double Trap.

• Monthly Open Pistol Tournament, Fort Benning, Ga., Aug. 17 – Service pistol shooter SFC Roger Jacobson won the Overall Grand Aggregate as well as the .45-Caliber and Center Fire Pistol Matches and finished third in the .22-Caliber Match. SSG Gregory Wilson took second place in the Overall Grand Aggregate and the .22- and .45-Caliber Matches. SGT Adam Sokolowski was third in the Overall Grand Aggregate and won the .22-Caliber Match. He also finished third in the Center Fire and .45-Caliber Matches. SSG Thomas Rose placed second in the Center Fire Pistol Match.

• World Speed Shooting Championships, Valencia, Calif., Aug. 17 - Action pistol shooter SSG Julie Goloski took third place in the Women's Division and SPC Maxient Michel finished seventh overall out of 220 of the world's best shooters.

• Liberty Cup Challenge, Albany, N.Y., Aug. 9 to 11 - Shotgun shooter SSG Joe Buffa won the 100 Target Preliminary Skeet Match and set a new club record with his perfect score of 100 out of 100. SFC Shawn Dulohery took second place with a score of 96. Buffa also won the Liberty Cup Challenge Skeet Championship and Dulohery took third place.


USAMU helps recruiters by giving marksmanship training to DEPs

By Paula J. Randall Pagán
U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit Public Affairs Office

FORT BENNING, Ga. - Although soldiers with the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit are best known for their ability to bring home gold medals for the Army in shooting competitions, the world-class shooters of the USAMU also help the Army with a different mission - recruiting.


SFC Rand Bentson, SGT William Simmons, SGT Justin Barberi, CPL Robert Cesnik Jr. and SPC Adam Bossier supported a recruiting mission during the National Pistol Matches at Camp Perry, Ohio, July 13. The soldiers provided marksmanship training with the Army Shooting Adventure Package (ASAP Van) to about 40 Army Delayed Entry Program members and recruiters from the Toledo, Ohio, Recruiting Company. According to SFC Steven Pullins, USAMU Recruiting Command liaison, the ASAP Van is USAMU's premier recruiting tool. The ASAP is a 28-foot-long, fifth-wheel trailer, pulled by a commercial dual rear-wheel-driven pickup truck, both of which are adorned with "eye-catching" Army graphics. Although the ASAP showcases the Army's best shooters, members of the general public can also test their own skills by shooting at targets by using specially modified pistols or rifles. "The ASAP is an interactive, safe arcade that provides an avenue for USAMU shooters and prospects to interact one-on-one in a fun environment," Pullins said.

"The DEPs really enjoyed it and a lot of them were very interested in getting more marksmanship training," said Toledo Recruiting Company Commander CPT Michael Wise. "The AMU showed them something new and different that we can't provide. I would definitely recommend using the AMU's ASAP Van with other recruiting stations; it's a great enhancement to the DEP program. The van was a neat way to familiarize them with the Army's 		 
The Army Shooting Adventure Package is a specially equipped trailer that presents a series of knock-down targets that are activated by laser beams. USAMU soldiers provide instruction and supervision for anyone who wants to try their hand at this exciting form of shooting.







One of the Army Delayed Entry Recruits takes her turn on the ASAP van knock-down targets. USAMU clay target shooter SFC Terry DeWitt provides assistance.
weapons in a safe, fun and challenging way."

Bentson, Bossier and the ASAP Van, along with SFC Theresa DeWitt, also hosted a similar DEP event during the Service Pistol Interservice Championships at Fort Benning's Phillips Range June 15. Four Georgia recruiters from Columbus North and South Stations, Dublin and Centerville brought 35 DEPs to that event.

"We are here to serve Army recruiters and assist them in making their mission," Pullins said. "Through USAMU recruiting-assistance events, we help recruiters expand their market and reinforce the contacts they have already made."

(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/.)