FORT BENNING, Ga. – Members of the Army Reserve Marksmanship Program competed at the 56th Annual Interservice Pistol Championships hosted by the Army Marksmanship Unit at Fort Benning, Georgia 7-12 June 2015. The team was led by Lt. Col. David Schultz and Cmd. Sgt. Maj. Steven Slee with firing members Majs. Luis Garcia and Patrick Sleem, Cpt. Thomas Bourne, 1st Lt. Davy Simanjaya, Master Sgt. Robert Mango, Sgts. 1st Class Kristopher Beerman and John Buol, Staff Sgts. Jonathan Rosene and Richard Willis, and Sgt. Zachariah Smith.

USAR Blue, consisting of firing members Maj. Sleet, Cpt. Bourne, Master Sgt. Mango, Sgts. 1st Class Beerman and Buol, and Staff Sgt. Rosene, managed consistent top five finishes in every team match including a third overall in Service Pistol. Top individual shooters were Master Sgt. Mango – with top five finishes in the .22 Overall Aggregate, Service Pistol Overall Aggregate, and Grand Overall Aggregate – and Staff Sgt. Rosene who took 2nd in the .22 Overall Aggregate.
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“Competition is important to developing marksmanship,” said Team Officer-In-Charge Lt. Col. Schultz. “I personally find it so beneficial to weapons skill that I don’t usually like discussing serious marksmanship training with those that don’t compete because they haven’t tapped into their full potential.” Team coach and perennial shooting champion Master Sgt. Mango said, “Precision events such as bullseye [NRA Outdoor Pistol] teach a much higher degree of skill. You have to learn to ‘grind it out’ to get better.”

The team used this event for further shooter development and to prepare for the Nationals in July. Full results are published online at https://ct.thecmp.org/app/v1/index.php?do=match&task=edit&match=13002