Photo By Kristen Wong | Staff Sgt. Kevin Bigelow, administration staff non-commissioned officer, U.S. Marine...... read more read more
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MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII, Kaneohe Bay - Approximately 200 competitors are currently competing in the annual Pacific Division Matches at Puuloa Range Training Facility. The matches kicked off Feb. 6, and awards will be presented on Feb. 27.
Chief Warrant Officer 2 Brian Somers said this is the largest turnout Marine Corps Base Hawaii has seen in recent history. Somers, a Marine gunner and MCB Hawaii range operations officer, manages both the Puuloa and Kaneohe Bay Range Training Facilities.
Active-duty service members, reservists and civilians are eligible to compete in the matches. This competition is one of four in the Competition-in-Arms Program, held annually at Marine Corps bases around the world. The top 10 percent of competitors will earn medals and have a chance to compete in the Marine Corps Championships in April.
Somers said this year, competing Marines will also have the opportunity to be certified in a secondary military occupational specialty, 0933, which is a combat marksmanship coach. The coaches assist shooters and help manage operations aboard rifle ranges.
In order to be certified, Marines must complete a three-week program and all of its required training and evaluation. The course schedule was also modified to accommodate the certification training. Though competitors will generally fire between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m., this year’s firing may run as late as 10 p.m.
“This certification will promote consistency in training throughout the Marine Corps and MCB Hawaii tenant commands,” Somers said.
Lance Cpl. Matthew Gartung, block non-commissioned officer, Puuloa Range Training Facility, confirmed the competitors vary in skill level. Gartung, who supervises 10 competitors throughout the day to ensure safety, said the competition is beneficial because Marines can practice their shooting. a skill that needs constant practice, he added.
“It’s not like riding a bike,” Gartung said.
Also present for the matches are Marines from Weapons Training Battalion, Marine Corps Base Quantico, like Gunnery Sgt. Heath Fernald, chief instructor for combat marksmanship.
“The skill set they learned here improves their marksmanship exponentially,” Fernald said of the shooters.
Fernald said the shooters will then be able to share their newfound knowledge with their respective units.
“[The Competition-in-Arms Program] enforces fundamentals in marksmanship and precision shooting,” Fernald said.
On Monday, after a week of minimal shooting and plenty of classroom instruction, the competitors spent a full day “firing the fundamental rifle marksmanship, or Table 1A, course of fire,” Somers said.
“I’m going to annihilate the 500 [yard target],” said Cpl. Andrew Heien, a rifleman with Echo Company, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment.
This is the first time participating in the Pacific Division Matches for the 21-year-old native of Hickory, N.C. He said he is competing to learn something new, while becoming a marksmanship coach. Though he had a rough start, Heien said he has improved.
Cpl. Adam Weinstein, squad leader, Weapons Company, 2/3, was also a new competitor this year. By interacting with the coaches during the competition, Weinstein said he learned how the coaches operated and how to improve his own shooting.
Weinstein, of Orange, Calif., said he currently shoots as a “high sharpshooter,” but wants to improve by competing.
There are also returning competitors this year, like Staff Sgt. Monica Preston, clarinet player, U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Pacific Band. Preston is competing for her fourth year. Her goal is to focus on the small details in shooting and “refining the shot process at every yard line.”
Civilian competitors also found benefits from the competition. Tanner Karabin, the range control and fire desk operator from Kaneohe Bay Range Training Facility, had the opportunity to compete and wanted to try it for the first time. She said it can be a challenge to be focused on her own shooting with other shooters firing and keep calm.
However, she considers the competition a “good learning experience,” finding out new ways to hold her rifle.
Gunnery Sgt. Edward Ortiz, the staff non-commissioned officer in charge of the Marine Corps Combat Shooting Team, remarked that this year’s competitors are eager to learn.
He said the competition is beneficial because Marines can improve upon their marksmanship skills while conferring with their peers, and are also motivated to improve by observing those with better skills. He said, however, Marines can become frustrated and he advises them to relax and “have a good mental program.”
“[This will] help them accomplish the mission of sending a well-aimed shot down to the target,” Ortiz said.
An awards ceremony for competition results is scheduled for Feb. 27, at 1 p.m. at The Officers’ Club aboard MCB Hawaii. For more information about the matches, call Puuloa Range Training Facility at 474-8057.
| Date Taken: | 02.17.2012 |
| Date Posted: | 02.17.2012 19:11 |
| Story ID: | 84030 |
| Location: | KANEOHE BAY, HAWAII, US |
| Web Views: | 411 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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