Photo By Sgt. Alyssa Lisenbe | The Delaware National Guard conducts The Adjutant General’s (TAG) Marksmanship...... read more read more
The Delaware National Guard conducted The Adjutant General’s (TAG) Marksmanship Sustainment Training Exercise, Sept. 9 to 10, 2023 at the River Road Training Site, Del.
The TAG Match validates and reinforces highly perishable marksmanship skills and improves readiness across the force at all levels of the Delaware National Guard.
This competition is an annual competition open to all eligible Delaware Army and Air National Guard service members.
“This is my first time ever shooting the TAG Match…the types of shooting here is all pretty new to me,” said competitor U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Rachel Smith with the Delaware Air National Guard’s 166th Security Forces Squadron. “It was definitely challenging but I learned a lot.”
This year the TAG Match had a 50% increase in competitors from 2022. Since the match was canceled due to Covid-19 for 2020 and 2021 there are a lot of first-time TAG Match competitors and NCOICs out on the range.
“Some of the Soldiers I see are trying to have fun being behind a weapon while gaining more experience,” said U.S. Army Sgt. Daniel Alexander who is attending the TAG Match for the first time as an NCOIC.
The competition consisted of multiple stages to determine the winners. Competitors tested their skills as a Combat Rifleman in reflexive fire, movement, anti-body armor, combat pistol, and the U.S. Air Force Elementary Excellence in Competition.
“Everything rolls into unit marksmanship sustainment,” said Staff Sgt. Christopher Brookens, Marksmanship Training NCO with the Sustainment Training Branch. “This gives the Soldiers a chance to build team camaraderie as well as work on their fundamental marksmanship skills
which will eventually flow back into their unit…”
The Novice Combined Arms Champion went to U.S. Army 2nd Lt. Nicholas Gilgenast with the 160th Engineer Company. Second place went to Spc. Antonio Alvarez with the 153rd Military Police Company and third place went to Spc. Emilio Dominguez with the 262nd Classification and Inspection Company.
The Novice Pistol Individual Champion went to Spc. Antonio Alvarez. Second place went to Spc. Emilio Dominguez and third place went to U.S. Army 2nd Lt. Nicholas Gilgenast.
The Novice Rifle Individual Champion went to U.S. Army Sgt. John Thomas with Alpha Company 198th Expeditionary Signal Brigade. Second place went to U.S. Army 2nd Lt. Nicholas Gilgenast and third place went to U.S. Army Cadet Seth Kissell with the 262nd CICO.
The 153rd MP Company took the top three places in the Open Pistol Individual Champion. First place went to U.S. Army Sgt. Miguel Cruz, second place went to U.S. Army Sgt. Nicholas Armstrong, and third place went to Spc. Antonio Alvarez.
Pistol EIC Aggregate went to U.S. Army Sgt. Miguel Cruz. Second place went to U.S. 2nd Lt. Nicholas Gilgenast and third place went to U.S. Army 1st Sgt. Glenn Davis with the 193rd Regional Training Institute.
The Overall Combined Arms Champion went to U.S. Army Sgt. Nicholas Armstrong. Second place went to U.S. Army 2nd Lt. Nicholas Gilgenast and third place went to Spc. Rosario Franzone with the 262nd CICO.
The top finishers of the Commander/First Sergeant Match are U.S. Army Cpt. Matthew Crouch and U.S. Army 1st Sgt. Glenn Davis with the 193rd RTI.
First place in the Individual Combined Arms Team Match was team “Spicy Chicken” consisting of U.S. Army 2nd Lt. Nicholas Gilgenast with the 160th Engineer Company, U.S. Army Spc. Rosario Franzone with the 262nd CICO, U.S. Army 2nd Lt. Ryan Maloney with the 1049th
Transportation Company, and U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Richard Legates with the 262nd CICO. This first place team will proceed to the regional competition.
The top 20 individuals in the overall combined arms receive the Governor's Twenty Tab to be worn on their uniform. The top 20 Delaware National Guard members from first to last are U.S.
Army Sgt. Nicholas Armstrong, U.S. Army 2nd Lt. Nicholas Gilgenast, Spc. Rosario Franzone, Spc. Emilio Dominguez, U.S. Army Sgt. Miguel Cruz, U.S. Army Sgt. John Thomas, U.S. Army 2nd Lt. Ryan Maloney, U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Scott Gayheart with the A. Co. 198th ESB, U.S. Army Cadet Seth Kissell, Spc. Bradley Kelly with the 153rd MP Company, U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Brandon Gardner with 721st Headquarters and Headquarters Company, Spc. Tyler Elzey with the 153rd MP Company, U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Richard Legates, U.S. Army Sgt. Matthew Ratchford with the 153rd MP Company, U.S. Army Sgt. Joseph Beach Jr. with the 153rd MP Company, U.S. Army Cadet Jun Cho with the 262nd CICO, U.S. Army Cadet John Farro with the 262nd CICO, U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Jason Tartaglia with the 166th Security Forces, and U.S. Army Sgt. Colton Platzke with the 1049th Transportation Company.
“This is just the tip of the iceberg,” said Brookens, “This goes on from state level to regional, national, and there is a possibility for those gifted Soldiers to compete internationally but the TAG Match…is where it all starts.”
| Date Taken: | 09.09.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 09.14.2023 22:03 |
| Story ID: | 453482 |
| Location: | NEWARK, DELAWARE, US |
| Web Views: | 188 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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