Photo By Capt. Janice Rintz | Team Leader Sgt. 1st Class Erik Vargas of New Mexico National Guard, and teammates...... read more read more
FORT BENNING, Georgia – Thirty-five three-person sniper teams from across the country and around the world competed in the 2023 International Sniper Competition (ISC) 08-13 April 2023, at Fort Benning, Georgia.
It's official! Soldiers from the U.S. Army National Guard are the best snipers in the world! Four National Guard sniper teams emerged as best contenders and all finished in the top 10, with team 7 finishing in 1st Place.
Team Leader Sgt. 1st Class Erik Vargas of New Mexico National Guard, and teammates from Arkansas National Guard, Staff Sgt. Benjamin Cotten, Staff Sgt. Allen Smith of ISC Team #7 secured the 1st Place by surpassing 34 other elite sniper teams from other U.S. military branches such as U.S. Army Active Component, National Guard, Special Ops, Infantry, Army Rangers, OPFOR, Airborne, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, as well as the most exceptional sniper teams worldwide from Denmark, Ireland, Sweden, Canada, Germany, Netherlands, Estonia, Australia, and the United Kingdom.
“Wow! Words cannot express how bad I’ve wanted this and how hard I’ve worked for this accomplishment and now it’s here. My teammates Ben Cotten and Allen Smith equally put in the effort so that we can share in this victory,” said Vargas. “It was a hard-fought match against some of the best snipers in the world.”
“To say a dream came true is an understatement”, Smith said. “Ben Cotten, EJ Vargas, and myself have worked so hard for this opportunity throughout our careers and to come out on top is an absolute blessing. It was a privilege and honor to shoot alongside some of the best snipers around the world. The lessons learned at this competition are something I will remember forever”.
“Winning the ISC has been a priority goal of mine since first completing sniper school. I watched the event year-after-year and noticed the caliber of snipers that competed. I worked as hard as I could and learned as much as I could to be able to compare myself with them. Just being able to attend the event was a dream come true,” said Cotten. “Winning was the ultimate validation for not only myself, but my team as well. All three of us were equally dedicated to the goal, and I could never have gotten here without them.”
Vargas is a full-time executive security in Las Vegas, Nevada. He has been in service for over 15 years including seven years in the National Guard. He is a prior active duty servicemember of the 3rd Ranger Battalion. Vargas has been a sniper for 10 years and counting.
Smith is a full-time Shreveport Firefighter. He has been a member of the National Guard for 16 years to which include 6 years as a sniper and 3 years as a sniper instructor. “I am fortunate enough to be able to pass these lessons along to students at the school house and help develop the most lethal snipers in the world. Competitions can be a selfish endeavor, but I would like to encourage everyone who attends matches like this to pass the knowledge along,” said Smith.
Cotten is also a full-time Shreveport Firefighter. He has been in the National Guard for 17 years, including 7 years as a sniper and 3 years as a sniper instructor.
The International Sniper Competition is a combat focused competition that seeks to test a sniper team’s ability to communicate and make decisions under stress and fatigue that challenge comfort zones of precision marksmanship capability.
Three-Man Teams from all branches of service and select international teams compete in numerous day and night courses of fire that will challenge them physically and mentally.
National Guard Teams:
Team 7 (All Guard) - 1st Place
Team 31 (Utah Army National Guard) - 2nd Place
Team 9 (Army National Guard Warrior Training Center) - 5th Place
Team 19 (Massachusetts National Guard) - 8th Place
| Date Taken: | 04.13.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 04.26.2023 17:37 |
| Story ID: | 443446 |
| Location: | CAMP JOSEPH T. ROBINSON, ARKANSAS, US |
| Web Views: | 2,944 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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