Photo By Sgt. Jacob Bradford | U.S. Army Soldier assigned to 3rd Infantry Division competes in EIC match at Fort...... read more read more
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FORT STEWART, Ga. – Two Soldiers assigned to the 3rd Infantry Division were considered the best in their division and selected to participate in the 18th Airborne Corps Small Arms Competition at Fort Liberty, North Carolina, Jan. 8-12, 2024. The competition held the Soldiers to a higher standard, requiring them to qualify on the M17 Pistol and M4 Carbine at the expert level.
Soldiers from all the divisions in the 18th Airborne corps joined the two 3rd ID Soldiers to form a team for the All Army Small Arms Competition at Fort Moore, Georgia, March 10-16, 2024, including 101st Airborne Division, 82nd Airborne Division, 10th Mountain Division, 16th Military Police Brigade, 18th Field Artillery Brigade, and 20th Engineer Brigade.
Cpt. William Lutz, assigned to 3rd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd ID, observed the two Soldiers continuously exceeding the standard throughout the company's annual training exercises. He selected Sgt. John Stockman, an infantryman with the sniper unit, and Spc. Nathaniel Adams, a cavalry scout with 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd ID, because as a leader, he was able to point out each Soldier’s strengths.
“Stockman has been an exceptional NCO that takes minimal commander’s guidance and executes accordingly,” said Lutz. “While Adams is an upcoming hungry specialist who has demonstrated the work ethic, we saw this as a great opportunity to incentivize them to compete on a higher level with other units across the Army.”
Both Soldiers stated they had no prior specialized training; instead, they had to use the skills they had gained from their profession and their overall military experience, adapting as the competition progressed. As a result, they began to feel the stress of how crucial it is to perfect the fundamentals of their weapons.
In a piece titled "Brilliance at the Basics," Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael R. Weimer further emphasizes the significance of Soldiers being proficient in their fundamental Soldier abilities.
“Making sure that something as simple as controlling your breathing and body position will affect how well you shoot distance,” said Stockman.
In addition to qualifying on the M17 and M4, Soldiers received an in-depth preliminary marksmanship instruction to prepare and refresh their knowledge. A "sprint to shoot" event marked the conclusion of the event, in which competitors had to run 300-400 meters to engage targets.
Even though Stockman and Adams won't be competing in the next round, they still valued the experience and recognized the opportunity for what it was – improvement. The purpose of competitions in the Army is for Soldiers to enhance their war fighting capabilities and increase lethality across the entire force.
“It was a good chance to go there and experience what the Army had to offer, meet new people, and get good training,” Adams said. “I really just saw it as an opportunity to get better at my craft.”
Just as Soldiers were gaining new competitive experiences, leaders also had the opportunity to take pride in their achievements.
“I think it was great from the Soldier side to thrive off of that competitiveness,” said Lutz. “Of course we’re proud of them at the company and battalion level, we want to glorify the accomplishments and keep empowering them.” (U.S. Army article by Spc. Destiny Husband)
| Date Taken: | 02.02.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 02.02.2024 14:59 |
| Story ID: | 463059 |
| Location: | FORT STEWART, GEORGIA, US |
| Web Views: | 400 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, 3rd ID Soldiers Compete in the 18th Airborne Corps Small Arms Competition, by SPC Destiny Husband, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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