The U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit will host the 2011 Maneuver Center of Excellence Pistol and Rifle Championships in February. The pistol matches will be held Feb. 8- to- 10 at Parks Range. The rifle matches will be at Easley Range Feb. 22 10-24.
All military personnel assigned to a unit on Fort Benning or attending a school on post are eligible and encouraged to attend. Army ROTC cadets or cadre from any Georgia or Alabama college ROTC unit are also eligible to compete. There is no cost to attend and ammunition is provided for all competitors. There will be trophies and plaques handed out for best individuals and teams.
Service members and units on Fort Benning have a unique opportunity at their doorstep. The post is one of the only installations in the military to conduct its own small arms firing championships. Additionally, the course of fire and ranges are the same ones used one month later during the All-Army Small Arms Championships, making it possible for Soldiers here to gain an advantage before the busloads of shooters arrive for All-Army in late March.
Shooters will be broken down into three classes: open, novice, and cadet. The novice class is for any competitor who has never fired a shot, individually or for a team, at the U.S. Small Arms Championships, Interservice Championships, or national matches.
Both the pistol and rifle matches will have excellence-in-competition matches, enabling competitors to earn points towards their distinguished badges in each discipline. The Distinguished Pistol Shot Badge and the Distinguished Rifleman’s Badges, along with the Distinguished International Shooter badge, are the most prestigious marksmanship badges Soldiers can earn in their military career and are authorized for wear on their uniform in accordance with Army Regulation 670-1.
Soldiers from the USAMU will be on hand to pass along their expertise to those competing, first with classroom instruction and then on the range during the matches. The unit will also be scouting potential future members that they can carry with them for the summer competition season and possible permanent assignments.
For more information, go to the unit’s website, www.usamu.com or e-mail michael.behnke@usaac.army.mil.
