Spc. Maxient J. Michel Jr.

Sgt. Julie A. Goloski

Besides the Open Team, there are eight additional slots for the Standard Team and Junior Team. The U.S. Practical Shooting Association, the organizing body for the sport of practical shooting in the United States, selected this year's U.S. Team members based on the shooters' national ranking received at the 2000 and 2001 National Championships. More than 20,000 action shooters compete in the United States and in over 60 countries around the world. The U.S. Team will compete against teams from more than 50 other countries Sept. 15 to 21 in Pietersburg, South Africa, at the World Shoot, run by the International Practical Shooting Confederation, which is the governing body for practical shooting worldwide. The championship will consist of 32 to 35 stages shot over five days. 

Action Shooting originated in the United States and, according to the IPSC, is one of the fastest growing shooting sports in the world. Action shooting began in the in the 1970s when law enforcement and security personnel wanted a competition that focused on practicality with their designated duty pistols. In 1976, the Columbia Conference in Columbia, Mo., set up the rules and parameters for the International Practical Shooting Confederation. Since then, the sport has grown from the local club level to the world level. The USPSA is the national governing body for action shooting and runs IPSC matches in the United States.

Action Shooting involves shooting numerous steel and paper targets from various positions with multiple shots. Courses of fire incorporate drawing the gun from the holster, making magazine changes and requiring the shooter to manage a variety of props in a safe manner. The time it takes shooters to maneuver a course of fire or stage is recorded along with their scored hits. The time is then divided into the hits scored. The fastest, most accurate shooter wins. IPSC competitions vary; each match is unique.

At World Shoot XII in Cebu, Philippines, in 1999, there were over 600 competitors. The match's 35 stages included battling everything from monster crabs and sharks to UFOs and giants. Michel took the Silver Medal in the Junior Division and Goloski finished seventh in the Women's Division. 

"It feels great to make the team; it's a dream come true," Michel said. "I've been on the Junior Team before, but now I'm a member of the U. S. Men's team. I'm now on the same team with the guys I used to look up to when I was a new shooter."

"I am very excited about making the women's team," Goloski said. "It is such an honor to be able to wear the U.S. colors at such a prestigious match with the best shooters from around the world. I want to represent the country and the Army well in every aspect."

Last year, Michel won all five of the Area Championships he attended as well as taking the Alabama, North Carolina, Louisiana, Mississippi and South Carolina State Championship titles. He was also the 2001 Junior Champion at the Pan-American Championship as well as an overall Pan-Am Bronze Medalist. At the American Handgunner World Shoot Off he took top military honors and was the IPSC Interservice Champion. Michel additionally finished in third place overall at the National Championships in 2000 and 2001 as well as taking second in the 2001 European International Championship.

Goloski, the 1999 U.S. Army Athlete of the Year, was the 1999 Women's World Speed Shooting Champion, as well as the 1999 Open and Limited U.S. Practical Shooting Association Women's National Champion. Only 22 years old, Goloski became the first woman ever to win seven out of eight of the USPSA Area Championships in the United States, breaking the record she previously set when she became the first woman to win a majority of the area championships.

(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/.)