Photo By Capt. Leanne Demboski | Firers stand and engage their targets during a pistol competition at Grafenwoehr...... read more read more
GRAFENWOEHR, Germany – The 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team welcomed 100 firers to a pistol competition featuring a 30-yard slow fire and an excellence-in-competition match held at Grafenwoehr Training Area, Germany, March 9, 2025. U.S. Soldiers assigned to units across the U.S. Army Garrison-Bavaria footprint, including 2nd Cavalry Regiment and 7th Army Training Command, joined the 56th SBCT at this inaugural competition. Following the event, the 56th SBCT forwarded the names of the top 10 percent of eligible match participants to the National Guard Marksmanship Training Center to validate the scores and offer career points toward the U.S. Army’s 30-point requirement for the Distinguished Pistol Shot Badge.
The day’s events were broken into ten relays, each with ten firers. Upon arrival, each relay of competitors confirmed their registration before receiving a mandatory block of instruction covering the competition’s series of events, safety considerations and scoring procedures. They also had the opportunity to practice “dry firing” before the start of the competition.
Each relay followed the same order of competitive events. The first match was the 30 yard standing slow fire in two minutes. Next, the excellence-in-competition consisted of the 30-yard standing in 60 seconds; 25-yard standing to kneeling to prone in 45-seconds; 20-yards standing in 20 seconds; and 15-yards standing in 15 seconds. U.S. Soldiers worked in pairs; while one Soldier fired, the other Soldier oversaw safety protocol, ensured the weapon was clear after each iteration and scored the firer’s targets.
Sunday’s event was a competition and EIC career-first for many competitors, including U.S. Army Spc. Tyler Webb, a computer/detection systems repairer with 2nd Cavalry Regiment, Regimental Support Squadron. Webb has some prior experience participating in combatives competitions and volunteered for the pistol competition when his unit announced the 56th SBCT notice inviting 2CR Soldiers to the event. As a first-time competitor, Webb said that he gained a new perspective on the match’s operations.
“We practice safety [at a qualification range], but the way we handle safety out here, everybody’s a safety...Everybody’s a shooter,” said Webb. “We all just take care of each other.”
On the other hand, U.S. Army Maj. Ian Swisher is no stranger to marksmanship competitions, including the EIC match, in both military and civilian sectors. Though this was his first time serving as a match director, he has experience in helping run dozens of matches. He has also competed in hundreds of events at the local, regional and national levels in nearly a dozen different shooting disciplines and has himself earning distinguished
designation in the service rifle and service pistol.
Referencing the EIC competition guidelines outlined in Army Regulation 350-66, Small Arms Competitive Marksmanship Program, Swisher explained that a Soldier must consistently demonstrate a high level of marksmanship achievement at varying levels of competition to garner the total 30 points. Level one matches occur at the state or unit levels; level two matches occur at the regional level and level three matches occur at
the national level. One must secure a diversified mix of points from all three levels to earn the distinguished designation.
“Some of the ideas built into the program are – 30 points. You can’t do it in a year,” said Swisher. “You can’t go and shoot 10 state or unit level matches in one year and go distinguished. The program is designed to make competitors compete at a high [National] level standard over several years.”
While this designated EIC match opened the door for Soldiers to strive for points earned at the local level, the value of marksmanship competitions goes far beyond percentages and scores. They provide Soldiers with additional hands-on training to improve marksmanship skills beyond annual weapons qualifications requirements.
“There’s a difference between going out and qualifying with your weapon like we do on an annual basis and competing,” said Swisher. “Qualifying with your rifle, in my mind, [is] the bare minimum standard for marksmanship. What I hope leaders take away from the competition is that [competition is] a tool for promoting interest in training, improving our skills and techniques, furthering development of marksmanship at the unit level and most importantly increasing our lethality through advanced individual skills.”
This inaugural event brought together Soldiers assigned to different home units with varying U.S. Army backgrounds, careers and marksmanship experience. It welcomed camaraderie, friendly competition and improved marksmanship training, thus contributing to the U.S. Army’s total readiness.
For Swisher, the competition was a success. He had the opportunity to speak with dozens of Sunday’s competitors about their technique, marksmanship goals and their interest in standing up a competitions program within their own units.
“Aside from each of us learning as individuals and improving our skills, one of the biggest metrics of success for me as a match director [is] spreading knowledge of the program and [coaching] others through running their own matches to train on advanced marksmanship tasks.”
| Date Taken: | 03.10.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 03.10.2025 12:34 |
| Story ID: | 492399 |
| Location: | GRAFENWOEHR, BAYERN, DE |
| Web Views: | 216 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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