Congratulations!

**The Reaper** · 08-27-2005, 18:58

There is at least one member of this board with a big hand in this.

Well done, gents!

TR

Service Rifle Team dominates National Matches
By Paula J. Randal-Pagan
August 25, 2005

CAMP PERRY, Ohio (Army News Service, Aug. 25, 2005) -- Service rifle shooters of the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit of Fort Benning, Ga., might not have been shooting for Olympic Gold Medals, but they dominated the National Highpower Rifle Matches at Camp Perry, Ohio, Aug. 2 to 15.

After conducting the Rifle Small Arms Firing School, July 30 to Aug. 1, the USAMU Service Rifle Team dominated this year’s National Rifle Championships.

The USAMU Service Rifle Team received the awards from Acting Commander of Training and Doctrine Command Lt. Gen. Anthony R. Jones, who presented the awards at the National Trophy Matches Awards Ceremony. The team then conducted the Long-Range Firing School Aug. 16 and 17 before returning to Fort Benning.

The USAMU Service Rifle Team coached by Staff Sgt. Emil Praslick III beat 58 of the country’s best military and civilian rifle teams to win the National Trophy Rifle Team Match and receive the “Dogs of War” National Trophy.

The USAMU Team dominated in this match, beating the second-place Marine Corps Team by 30 points. USAMU shooters were Sgt. 1st Class Norman L. Anderson, Sgt. 1st Class Lance D. Dement, Sgt. 1st Class Lance S. Hopper, Sgt. 1st Class Kyle A. Ward, Staff Sgt. Tobie L. Tomlinson and Spc. Brandon K. Green; Staff Sgt. Jason M. St. John was the team captain.

“Thirty points is a big win,” said USAMU Commander Lt. Col. David J. Liwanag. “The team shot in exceptionally challenging wind conditions and Sergeant Praslick did an outstanding job. The coach is responsible for reading the wind and giving each Soldier the correction in rear-sight windage clicks.”

The USAMU Team coached by St. John won the National Enlisted Men’s Trophy Team Match, which is fired at ranges of 200, 300 and 600 yards with the M-16 rifle by all military service teams. St. John’s Team shot a score of 1,970 points out of a possible 2,000 with 83 Xs out of 200 Xs (an X is a bull’s eye used in tie-breaking); the Marine Corps Team’s score was 1,970 with 80 Xs. Shooters were Ward, Green, Staff Sgt. William T. Pace and Pvt. 2 Calvin G. Roberts; the team captain was Staff Sgt. Daniel M. Pettry.

“This match was perhaps the greatest demonstration of technical skill and sportsmanship I have seen,” Liwanag said. “Sergeant St. John inspired his team to a superior performance. This was the Army’s number two team. In side-by-side performance with the Marines, who shot on the firing point beside them, our Soldiers kept their cool and shot an outstanding match.”

Praslick’s Team also won the Roumanian Trophy Team Match and the Herrick Trophy Team Match.

Anderson triumphed over 1,285 competitors to win the President’s Rifle Match, for which he will receive the President’s Rifle Trophy, a letter of congratulations from President George W. Bush and the President’s Hundred Tab. With a score of 297 points out of a possible 300 and 17 Xs out of 30 Xs, Anderson edged out Ward who took second place with a score of 297 and 11 Xs.

For the second year in a row, Anderson also won the National Trophy Individual Rifle Match with a score of 496 points out of 500, for which he was awarded the Daniel Boone Trophy. Anderson barely beat Tomlinson, who had a score of 495. For being the highest scoring Army (active, Reserve or National Guard) competitor in the National Trophy Individual Rifle Match, Anderson received the Association of the U.S. Army Trophy; he also received the 25th Infantry Division Trophy for being the highest scoring Army Infantryman.

The U.S. Forces Command Trophy also went to Anderson for being the active duty Soldier with the highest aggregate score in the National Trophy Individual and National Trophy Team Matches.

Hopper was second to Anderson and Tomlinson finished third.

Anderson also took home the Mountain Man Trophy for having the overall highest aggregate score in the President’s Hundred, National Trophy Individual and National Trophy Team Matches; here Tomlinson took second and Hopper third.

Green won the National Long-Range Service Rifle Championship for shooting the highest combined overall score with his M-16 rifle at 600, 800, 900 and 1,000 yards. Green also took third place in the overall National Service Rifle Championship.

Ward won the Farr Trophy and the Air Force Cup and Green won the Coast Guard Trophy and took second place in the Farr Trophy Match. Pace was the highest of all non-distinguished shooters in the National Trophy Individual Rifle Match, in which the top 10 percent of the competitors earn 10 Excellence in Competition points toward their Distinguished Rifle Badges.

USAMU civilian Troy Lawton, who is the chief of match ammunition research and development, won the Members Trophy and the Vandenberg Cup. Lawton set a new record in the first of three 80-shot rifle matches for the Individual National Champion title by firing a perfect score of 800.

Acting Commander of Training and Doctrine Command Lt. Gen. Anthony R. Jones presented the awards at the National Trophy Matches Awards Ceremony.

(Editor’s note: Paula J. Randall Pagán serves as public affairs officer for the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit, Accessions Support Brigade.)