USAMU shooters prevail at National Pistol Matches

[USAMU]

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

FORT BENNING, Ga. - Soldiers of the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit brought home several trophies from the annual National Pistol Matches at Camp Perry, Ohio, July 12 to 16. Approximately 700 pistol shooters from around the country competed in these matches.

The USAMU Service Pistol Team of Sgt. 1st Class Roger C. Jacobson, Staff Sgt. Thomas A. Rose, Staff Sgt. Adam E. Sokolowski, Sgt. Robert S. Park II and Sgt. Keith A. Sanderson placed second out of 101 teams in the Team National Championship; Sgt. 1st Class Charles E. Coffey was the team captain and Sgt. Brian W. Rost was the coach. The Army Team finished only five points behind the winner and beat the third-place team by 31 points. The Team National Championship is an aggregate of the .22-Caliber, .45-Caliber and Center Fire team matches.

The Army Pistol Team won the Center Fire National Team Championship. Shooters were Jacobson, Sokolowski, Park and Sanderson. The USAMU Team of Rose, Sokolowski, Park and Sanderson and finished fourth overall and won the High Master Service Division in the .22-Caliber Team National Championship. The .45-Caliber Team Championship was canceled because of inclement weather.

In the Service Pistol National Team Championship - the National Trophy Team Match - the USAMU Team of Sokolowski, Park, Staff Sgt. John C. Ennis and Spc. Sean P. Watson got the number two spot, missing first place by only three points.

Ennis won the High Master Service Division in the National Pistol Championship; Sanderson took second place and Rose finished third.

The Center Fire National Championship went to Ennis, who also took the Center Fire National Match Course Match. Staff Sgt. Robert M. Mango came in second in the Center Fire Timed Fire Match.

Sanderson took third place in the .22-Caliber National Championship. He won the .22-Caliber Rapid Fire Match and took second place in the .22-Caliber Slow Fire Match, in which Sokolowski got third place. Sokolowski also took second place in the .22-Caliber National Match Course Match.

In the .45-Caliber Rapid Fire Match, Sanderson got second place and Park finished third. Pvt. 2 Christopher J. Jones took third place in Excellence in Competition National Trophy Individual Pistol Match.

Park was awarded the U.S. Forces Command Trophy for being the highest active duty Army finisher in the National Trophy Individual and National Trophy Team matches. He also finished in second place for three trophies: The General Mellon Trophy, which is awarded to the highest scoring Army shooter in the National Trophy Pistol Team Match; the Military Police Corps Trophy, which goes to the highest scoring individual in the National Trophy Pistol Team Match; and the General Custer Trophy, for the overall winner in the National Trophy Individual Pistol Match.

The USAMU International Rifle Team, which includes four Olympians, will compete in the National Smallbore Matches at Camp Perry July 20 to 29. The USAMU Service Rifle Team is getting ready for the National Highpower Rifle Matches, which will be conducted at Camp Perry Aug. 7 to 15.

The Civilian Marksmanship Program and the National Rifle Association have been running the National Matches since 1903. More than 5,000 people from across the country vie for these national championship titles at Camp Perry’s ranges on the banks of Lake Erie.