By Paula J. Randall Pagán
U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit, Accessions Support Brigade

FORT BENNING, Ga. - After the smoke from 133 rifles and pistols cleared, a Texas Army National Guardsman walked away with the top trophies in the U.S. Army Small Arms Championships. Texas Army National Guardsman Staff Sgt. Charles W. Blackwell won the U.S. Army Combined Small Arms Overall Individual Championship and received a Secretary of the Army Trophy Rifle, a Gold Medal and coins from the Administrative Assistant to the Secretary of the Army and Sergeant Major of the Army. Soldiers of the active Army, Army Reserve and Army National Guard put their combat marksmanship skills to the test in the first phase of the All-Army Small Arms Championships, which the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit hosted March 14 to 21 here on McAndrews and Parks ranges. When the last U.S. Army Small Arms Championships were conducted in 1994, Blackwell was also the winner - then as a sergeant. The All-Army Championships was comprised of service rifle and service pistol competitions, with Soldiers shooting their M-16 rifles and M-9 pistols. The Long Range competitions took place at Maertens Range March 22 to 25, in which Soldiers competed with either M-14 or M-24 rifles with iron sights and scopes.

Maj. Timothy S. Kean of the Texas National Guard took second place the Combined Small Arms Overall Individual Championship and Sgt. 1st Class David J. Kerin of the Pennsylvania National Guard got third place. Former USAMU international pistol shooter Maj. Rhonda L. Bright of the 81st Regional Readiness Command of Birmingham, Ala., was the highest female shooter.

Sgt. Maj. Patrick A. McNamara of Fort Bragg, N.C., was the winner in the Novice Division, Army Reserve Capt. Gregory L. Wooten of the 321st Engineer Battalion of Boise, Idaho, took second place and Sgt. Sean M. Toner of Fort Carson, Colo., was third. Awards for finishing fourth, fifth and sixth went to Sgt. William P. Green of the Army National Guard out of Fredericksburg, Va., Staff Sgt. Todd A. Bailey of Fort Jackson, S.C., and Staff Sgt. Russell W. Stone of the Texas Army National Guard. Texas Tech ROTC Cadet Donald P. Skidmore took the Cadet Division. The High Active Army Soldier was Staff Sgt. Brian P. Arnold of the 5th Ranger Training Battalion, Dahlonega, Ga. The High Active Army Junior Enlisted Novice was Spc. Scott Grant of the 503rd Maintenance Company. Toner was the High Active Army Senior Enlisted Novice.

Blackwell also won the title of U.S. Army Service Pistol Individual Champion for having the highest aggregate score in the Secretary of the Army Combat Pistol Match, the Chief of Staff of the Army Combat Pistol Match and the Excellence in Competition Pistol Match, all of which he won. Kean took second place in the Overall Pistol Championship; finished in second place in the SecArmy and CSA matches and finished sixth in the EIC match. Army Reserve Sgt. 1st Class Thomas J. Conners of the 94th Regional Readiness Command of Ayer, Mass., was third in the Pistol Championship; he placed fourth in the SecArmy Match, 13th in the CSA Match and fourth in the EIC match.

Kerin won the U.S. Army Service Rifle Individual Championship for having the highest scores in the SecArmy, CSA and EIC Rifle Matches. He won the SecArmy and CSA Matches and finished third in the EIC Match. Sgt. 1st Class Gregory T. Neiderhiser of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard placed second and Arnold was third. Blackwell was the Combined Small Arms EIC winner for having the highest combined scores from the EIC Rifle and Pistol Matches; Kerin was second and Conners was third.

Bright won the EIC Rifle Match, followed by Master Sgt. Beverly J. Spungin of the Wyoming National Guard in second and Kerin in third. After Blackwell in the Pistol EIC Match, was Army Reservist Chief Warrant Officer 4 Albert B. Wood of Fort McCoy, Wis., taking second place, and Master Sgt. Thomas J. Boyle of the Pennsylvania National Guard getting third.

The Distinguished Pistol Shot Badge was awarded to the following Soldiers: Conners; Army Reserve Col. John J. Stankiewcz of Fort Dix, N.J.; Spc. Craig S. Nelson of USAMU; and Wood, who also the High Non-Distinguished Shooter in the EIC Pistol Competition. Staff Sgt. Bruce W. Roscoe of the 286th Quartermaster Petroleum Supply Battalion of Bangor, Maine, also received the Distinguished Pistol Shot Badge; he already holds the Distinguished Rifleman Badge, so receiving the pistol badge made the Maine National Guardsman Double Distinguished - a feat accomplished by a mere 347 Soldiers.

The Silver Rifle EIC Badge was awarded to the following Soldiers: Capt. John A. Younger of the Pennsylvania National Guard; and Reservist Sgt. Pershing D. Gervais of the 416th Engineer Command of Illinois.

Soldiers who were awarded the Bronze Rifle EIC Badge were: Wooten; Capt. Daniel G. Dudziak of the New York Army National Guard; Sgt. 1st Class Blaine J. Huston of Fort Benning; Spc. Kevin J. Beatty and Spc. Thomas A. Summers, both of Fort Bragg; and Reservist Sgt. David M. Jennings Jr. of the 354th Public Affairs Detachment; who was the High Non-Distinguished Shooter in the EIC Rifle Competition.

Receiving the Bronze Pistol EIC Badge were: Wooten; Green; Army Reservist Sgt. Thomas Davis of the Small Arms Readiness Group; and Pfc. David J. Christen of the USAMU.

After receiving the highest aggregate score in the SecArmy Combat Pistol Match and the SecArmy Combat Rifle Match, Blackwell was the Day One Overall Winner; he took first place in the pistol match and sixth place in the rifle match. Kean, who finished second in the pistol match and seventh in the rifle match took second place overall. Kerin got third place overall; he won the rifle match and placed sixth in the pistol match.

Bright was the High Female Shooter and the High Reserve Competitor. In the Novice Division, McNamara was the winner and Skidmore took the Cadet Division. Arnold was the High Active Army Competitor.

The Day Two Overall Winner was also Blackwell, who had the highest aggregate score in the CSA Combat Pistol Match and the CSA Combat Rifle Match; Roscoe took second place in the CSA Rifle Match. Blackwell won the pistol match and finished ninth in the rifle match. Kean got second place in the pistol match and 10th in the rifle match, and Kerin finished third for winning the rifle match and finishing sixth in the pistol match.

Bright was the highest female and Reserve finisher, McNamara won the Novice Division and Virginia Military Institute ROTC Cadet Phillip R. Sauls won his division. Michael Discioscia of Fort Benning was the High Active Army Competitor.

The New York Army National Guard Team, coached by Staff Sgt. Randy Knowlton, won the Sergeant Major of the Army Combat Rifle Team Match; the firing members were Dudziak, 1st Lt. Rodney Richmond, Sgt. 1st Class David J. Evans and Spc. Steven L. Woodruff. The Pennsylvania National Guard Team took second place and the Texas National Guard was third.

The SMA Combat Pistol Team Match was won by the Texas Army National Guard Team; the shooters were Kean, Blackwell, Chief Warrant Officer 3 Richard M. Tanner and Staff Sgt. Jeffrey D. Stehling. The Pennsylvania National Guard placed second and the New York National Guard Team got third place. The Soldiers received their awards at the first awards ceremony conducted the evening of March 21 at Phillips Range. U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit Commander Lt. Col. David J. Liwanag, as the competition director, made opening remarks and introduced the guest speaker - Lt. Col. Gordon R. Roberts, who is the only active duty Army Medal of Honor recipient. Roberts is currently the commander of the Troop Support Battalion, 1st Corps Support Command, Fort Bragg.

Distinguished guests at the ceremony included: Administrative Assistant to the Secretary of the Army J.B. Hudson; Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army Charles Maddox; Deputy Commanding General/Chief of Staff of U.S. Army Accessions Command Brig. Gen. Bernado C. Negrete; USAAC Accessions Support Brigade Commander Col. Freddie N. Blakely; Sgt. Maj. Johnny D. Ramirez of USAAC ASB; retired Command Sgt. Maj. Jimmie W. Spencer, who is the director of the Noncommissioned Officers and Soldier Program of the Association of the U.S. Army; and Olympic Rifle Champion Gary Anderson.

The Overall Long Range Rifle Champion was Capt. Scott Klawon of the U.S. Army Reserve Personnel Command. At the March 25 award ceremony, Anderson presented Klawon with Gold Medal, a trophy plaque a SecArmy Trophy Rifle, a SMA Coin, a CSA Coin and a Department of the Army Coin. Wood finished in second place and Gervais was third.

The Overall Novice Champion was Beatty, who received a Gold Medal, a plaque, a SecArmy Trophy Rifle, a CSA Coin and a DA Coin. Bailey finished in second place and Summers in third. The High Novice Lower Enlisted Soldier was Summers and he received a Gold Medal and a Ruger 10/22 Rifle donated by the Military Marksmanship Association.

Bailey won the All Army Long Range Service Rifle Championship. He received a Gold Medal, a plaque, a DA Coin and a Remington 700 Light Tactical Rifle, donated by Remington Arms, Inc. Wood won the Long Range Rifle Metallic Sights Match, followed by Klawon in second place and Gervais in third. Grant was the Novice winner, followed by Bailey and Green.

Klawon was the winner in the Long Range Rifle Any Sights Match, with Gervais in second place and Wood in third. The Novice winner was Beatty; Summers took second place and Spc. John T. Babcock of Fort Bragg finished third.

In the Long Range Rifle Palma Match, Klawon won again, with Wood taking second place and Master Sgt. Robert G. Fletcher of the 94th Regional Readiness Command coming in third. Beatty was the winner in the Novice Division; Bailey took second place and Spc. Victor R. Jordan of Army National Guard out of Fredericksburg, Va., was third.

(Formed in 1956 by President Dwight D. Eisenhower to raise the standards of marksmanship throughout the U.S. Army, the Army Marksmanship Unit is assigned to the Accessions Support Brigade of Fort Knox, Ky., which is under U.S. Army Accessions Command, of Fort Monroe, Va. Accessions Command is charged with overseeing recruiting and training of the Army's enlisted Soldiers and officers. The Marksmanship Unit trains its Soldiers to win competitions and enhances combat readiness through train-the-trainer clinics, research and development. The world-class Soldier-athletes of the USAMU also promote the Army and assist recruiters in attracting young Americans to enlist in the Army. For more information on the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit, contact the Public Affairs Office at (706) 545-5436, paula.pagan@usarec.army.mil or http://www.usarec.army.mil/hq/amu/.)