Photo By Serena Juchnowski | U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Nathan Lockwood teaches a new shooter during the November 8...... read more read more
This past November, U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit (USAMU) Soldiers from the Service Rifle and Service Pistol Teams assisted the Civilian Marksmanship Program with their Talladega 600 Marksmanship 101 clinics, the largest of these classes the CMP has held to date.
Every year, the USAMU runs the Small Arms Firing Schools (SAFS) at Camp Perry, Ohio during the National Matches. Marksmanship 101 clinics are a smaller version of these classes held at various ranges across the United States. These clinics present an extremely unique opportunity for military members and civilians — a chance to learn one on one from some of the best shooters in the country.
CMP Highpower Manager Brian Williams elaborated on this point. “Having the USAMU help instruct at the Marksmanship 101 Classes is a tremendous opportunity for the participants of the class. Learning tips and techniques from these elite-level shooters is always helpful in increasing participation in the events.” This year had record attendance — 30 rifle attendees and 24 pistol attendees.
Staff Sergeants Verne Conant and Nathan Lockwood and Specialists Adam Fitzpatrick and Amber Kingshill presented students with the basics of rifle marksmanship on Friday, November 8. The one-day event started with classroom time before moving to dry-fire and live-fire practice on CMP’s newly updated electronic targets. Attendees fired at 200 yards with provided ammunition and iron-sight AR-15s. Each class concludes with a special competition in which non-distinguished attendees have an opportunity to earn four Excellence-in-Competition (EIC) points towards their Distinguished Rifleman’s Badge.
The winner of the 2024 Talladega 600 Rifle Marksmanship 101 EIC Match, junior shooter and Navy Sea Cadet Charles Clifton, has attended two Rifle SAFS and three Marksmanship 101 Courses. He isn’t alone. Many service rifle competitors repeatedly attend the classes to better their skills as they work towards the coveted points. “It was a rush of fulfilment and excitement to finally get my points,” Clifton said. “It meant even more when everything came together, and I was able to win the match.” Spc. David Stanley and Capt. Seth Carozza also earned their first points, taking second and third place respectively.
Clifton’s first exposure to highpower rifle shooting was at the 2023 SAFS, and the training he received from the USAMU encouraged him to continue. “They inspired me,” Clifton explained. “I want to be that for other people my age as well as new shooters. The USAMU team sets a great example, instills confidence in handling firearms in a safe and appropriate manner, and you can see how dedicated they are to helping others.”
Many attendees are just looking to improve their marksmanship skills or to try something new. 16-year-old Jenna Boykin traveled to Talladega Marksmanship Park from Port Clinton, Ohio. Like Clifton, she was also inspired by a former member of the USAMU, Capt. Sarah Beard. Beard taught Boykin at a rimfire sporter school a few years ago and made quite the impression. “I always looked up to her,” Boykin said excitedly. “I thought oh my goodness, I want to be just like her when I’m older. I fell in love with shooting ever since that day.” Boykin competes in rimfire sporter and bullseye pistol, but the Rifle Marksmanship 101 Class has furthered her interest in service rifle.
Perhaps the highlight of this class was two attendees who had never touched a firearm before. Everyone enjoyed watching interest and caution turn to excitement and confidence. “There is nothing better than seeing a new shooter have that light bulb moment,” Lockwood said. “It's when you can physically see they get what you are telling them. Even better is when that next shot is right where they call it.” This couple also attended the Pistol Marksmanship 101 Class on November 10, where they fired a handgun for the first time. CMP Pistol Director and former USAMU member Jim Henderson taught this course with assistance from Sergeants First Class Ryan Franks and Greg Markowski. This trio had competed and instructed together before, so their chemistry made for an even better class. This course followed the same format as the Rifle 101, but with Beretta M9 pistols fired at 25 yards. Many attendees had also attended the Rifle Marksmanship 101 Class or had some bullseye experience.
Highpower competitor Robert Turnquist had previously attended the Pistol SAFS at Camp Perry, Ohio but said he preferred the Pistol Marksmanship 101 Class due to the smaller class size. At 24 students, instructors had more one-on-one time with each student and could better tailor the classroom portion to the experience level of the audience. Two competitors earned four points towards the Distinguished Pistol Shot Badge, Chief Warrant Officer 4 (RET) Richard Young and Joseph McMillan.
Teaching these courses also allows the public to learn more about the USAMU and their mission while promoting marksmanship, particularly among juniors. Consider attending future Marksmanship 101 Courses as well as the Small Arms Firing Schools held each summer during the National Matches.
The next Marksmanship 101 Courses will be held Wednesday, March 19 and Thursday, March 20 at Talladega Marksmanship Park.
| Date Taken: | 12.11.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 12.13.2024 16:19 |
| Story ID: | 487491 |
| Location: | TALLADEGA, ALABAMA, US |
| Hometown: | FORT MOORE, GEORGIA, US |
| Hometown: | TALLADEGA, ALABAMA, US |
| Web Views: | 55 |
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