Olympic medalist wins MMA Soldier of Year

[USAMU]

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

FORT BENNING, Ga. - Maj. Michael E. Anti of the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit has been selected as the Military Marksmanship Association Soldier of the Year for 2004. MMA president, former USAMU Commander retired Col. Arch Arnold, made the announcement at the MMA Annual Membership Meeting Feb. 4 at the Pool International Shooting Complex. Arnold presented the Soldier of the Year Award to Anti - a trophy pistol donated by the Smith and Wesson Corporation.

Last month, Anti, 40, of Winterville, N.C., also won the 2004 Army Male Athlete of the Year title.
Anti won a Silver Medal in Men’s 50-Meter Three-Position Rifle shooting event in the 2004 Olympic Games at Markopoulo Olympic Shooting Centre in Athens, Greece. A three-time Olympian, Anti also finished 24th in Men’s 50-Meter Free Rifle Prone in the Athens Games.

Besides Anti, other USAMU nominees for the MMA Soldier of the Year Award were action shooter Staff Sgt. Maxient J. Michel, international pistol shooter Sgt. 1st Class Daryl L. Szarenski, shotgun shooter Sgt. Mark L. Weeks, service rifle shooter Sgt. 1st Class Norman L. Anderson, service pistol shooter Staff Sgt. Adam E. Sokolowski and Olympic gunsmith Sgt. 1st Class Charles P. Gartland.

Anti thanked the Army and the Army Marksmanship Unit and gave special recognition to Gartland who perfected the rifle that Anti shot in the Olympics to win his Silver Medal.

(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@usaac.army.mil or http://www.usarec.army.mil/hq/amu/.)