Monthly Archives: August 2019

2019 Army Reserve Small Arms Championship Results

by John Buol

#LetsGoShooting #RoadtoAwesome #KeepPounding #AmericasArmyReserve #USArmyReserve #WeaponsMastery #USARPostalMatch #USARCombatTeam #USARRifleTeam #USARPistolTeam

Congratulations
High Overall
High Overall
Presented by SFC Daniel Horner
3rd place SPC Roland Sink, 2nd place and top overall Army Reserve Soldier receiving a certificate from Sig Sauer SFC Tor Peterson, Overall Rifle Champion US Army National Guardsman SSG Steve Ophoff

1st Place overall Team

303rd PSYOP Company
1st Place overall Team

SGT Phillip HOCHEVAR
SPC Michael Mitchell
SPC Sean Murphy
SPC Roland Sink

ALBUM

IMG_20190824_074902059

Overview:
Camp Atterbury, Ind. —
The Army Reserve Marksmanship Program hosted a retention and training event at Camp Atterbury. Open to all Army Reserve Soldiers, the Army Reserve Small Arms Championship is an Army Regulation directed event consisting of a mix of precision and timed action shooting events using issue service equipment shot on paper, pop-up, and steel targets from 25 to 400 meters. The event also included a formal qualification with a 100% go rate among all attending Soldiers.

“Events like the Army Reserve Small Arms Championship provide solid training and are great for Soldier retention,” said Command Sgt. Major Larry May, 84th Training Command. “This is an opportunity that many Soldiers (including me, before I attended) don’t realize exists. I consider this to have the same value as the pending ACFT and deserving of the same amount of attention.”

The precision events provided the benefits of shooting at full distance (25 to 400 meters) from multiple positions with full feedback of each shot. The precision requirements were more stringent than those commonly found in sniper training as the silhouette targets featured a number of concentric scoring rings inside the target’s center area.

The action events combined a fitness add-in based on the pending Army Combat Fitness Test with timed shooting on reactive steel and pop-up targets in various scenarios. Shooting positions were based on the new Army qualification with an emphasis on using barricades for kneeling and standing positions to engage targets while being timed.

In addition to the training, the Army Reserve Small Arms Championship also served as a retention event. “Events like these Small Arms Championship are what the Army needs to do. In addition to training, events like this have a high retention value. Retention ultimately saves money because Soldiers decide to stay in the Army, instead of leaving,” said Lt. Col. Charles Hensley, 310th ESC (377th Theater Sustainment Command). “This event has provided good quality team building. For instance, my team has Soldiers from different units within our Major Command. Being part of a team keeps Soldiers in, especially when they can attend events like this.”

Members of the Army Reserve Marksmanship Program also provided coaching to the Soldiers. “Too few Soldiers experience true marksmanship instead of mere qualification,” said Cpt. Amnouayphonh Thammarath, 310th ESC (377th TSC). “Events like this are great for building confidence by providing full feedback to maximize training on a variety of scenarios, especially shooting at long distance. Looking at trends for the past 20 years, we need true subject matter experts capable of teaching at a higher level.”

“I’ve been passionate about shooting for 30 years and have been in the Army for 16. Members of the Competitive Marksmanship Program have instructors that help Soldiers absorb quality information easier versus the forced approach more common in the Army,” said Spc. Nakia Petersen, 390th Regiment (108th Training Command). “Soldiers are often hampered from the ineffective drill sergeant approach, which is too one way. The skilled competitive shooter-instructors in the Marksmanship Program use teaching methods more conducive to learning. They want you to learn and know the best way to teach you.”

Directed by Army regulation, the Army Reserve Small Arms Championship are held as often as Soldier interest and funding allows. In addition, all Army Reserve Soldiers are eligible to host and participate in Postal Matches during their any unit qualification as a means to get started on these retention and training events. This event featured Soldiers from the 84th, 108th, and 80th Training Commands, USACAPOC, ARCD, 83rd ARRTC/RTA, 100th TD, MIRC, First Army, and the National Guard, and the USARCMP would have liked to host more.

NEWS:

https://www.usar.army.mil/News/News-Display/Article/1952388/retention-event-creates-100-qualification-rate/

https://www.usar.army.mil/News/News-Display/Article/1851983/2019-army-reserve-small-arms-championships/

Registration Info
https://armyreservemarksman.info/2019-usar-champs/

#RoadtoAwesome #KeepPounding #AmericasArmyReserve #USArmyReserve #WeaponsMastery #USARPostalMatch #USARCombatTeam #USARRifleTeam #USARPistolTeam #ServiceConditions #LetsGoShooting

Battalion Earns 99% Qualification Rate Using Postal Match, EIC

by John Buol

Battalion Earns 99% Qualification Rate Using Postal Match, EIC

McCrady Training Center
Eastover, S.C.

Integrating new Army small arms doctrine with the Postal Match and Excellence In Competition Programs led to a large increase in Battalion-level qualification rates.

The 345th Military Intelligence Battalion (MIRC) enlisted members of the Army Reserve Marksmanship Program to help conduct their small arms training, leading to a better than 99% qualification rate. Conducted at the McCrady Training Center in Eastover, South Carolina near Fort Jackson, the 345th MI held an extended Battle Assembly focused on getting their Soldiers up to speed on the Army’s new small arms training doctrine.

“Our goal was to break the negative effects of Army institutional inertia,” said Lt. Col. Luis Garcia, the 345th MI BN Commander. “We can’t make an improvement by doing things the same as before.”

During qualification held the previous year, the 345th MI BN qualified less than 35 of its Battalion’s Soldiers. This year, those numbers increased to a 99.2% qualification rate, the best the Battalion has done in a number of training cycles. Part of the improvement was due to instruction led by Army Reserve Marksmanship Program to counteract common issues. “I learned my drill sergeants at Initial Entry Training were wrong about a number of things, including how the sights work, how to use them, or correct zero procedures. I didn’t know any of this until I received this instruction from the Shooting Team,” said Spc. Paula Delgado, HHD 345th MI BN. “I also learned that I’m cross-eye dominant, which was a concept my drill sergeants never discussed or identified.”

The 345th MI BN also made full use of the Army’s new small arms training doctrine, starting with the current zero targets. Despite now being official for three years, the 345th had to go outside of the Fort Jackson area to locate these targets. “We called range operations at different locations throughout South Carolina and Georgia with no initial luck, but eventually found that Fort Benning Range Operations had some for our use,” said Sgt. Jenny Lewis, Supply Sergeant for A Co., 345th MI. “It took a 3.5-hour drive to pick them up so our Battalion would have them but I got it done. Mr. Outlaw (yes, that is his name) at Fort Benning was extremely helpful.”

Despite issues with local active duty support at Fort Jackson, the 345th MI found the South Carolina National Guard at McCrady to be knowledgeable and supportive. “We’re already tracking on the new standards and equipment on our end, including having barricades for the drills and qualification courses. We’re ready to support Soldiers on this in FY2020.” said First Sgt. Andrew Goza, South Carolina National Guard. In addition to supporting Soldier training at McCrady, First Sgt. Goza, a winner of the Governor’s Twenty marksmanship award through the National Guard, also works with the South Carolina National Guard competitive marksmanship program.

On top of the 345th learning about the Army’s new small arms standards, the Battalion implemented a Postal Match and Excellence In Competition events into their training as an additional gated and progressive approach. Both events feature shooting at a faster and more stringent pace than normal qualification. These events are available to all Soldiers and units in the Army Reserve.

Maj. Jason Konefal, Executive Officer of the 345th MI BN, led the way by winning the 345th MI BN EIC Pistol event with a score of 162 -3X (162 points with three tie-breaking X-ring hits.) The 345th had 87 Soldiers eligible to complete the EIC and the top ten percent of the finishers will receive formal Department of Army Orders in their permanent record awarding “Leg” points and authorizing wear of the bronze Excellence In Competition badge on their Army Service Uniform.

https://www.usar.army.mil/News/News-Display/Article/1931211/battalion-earns-99-qualification-rate-using-postal-match-eic/

Army Releases New Training and Qualification Standards

by John Buol

TC 3-20.40, Training and Qualification, Individual Weapons, dated 30 JUL 2019, is published and posted on Army Publishing Directorate

https://armypubs.army.mil/ProductMaps/PubForm/Details.aspx?PUB_ID=1007342

All U.S. Army Reserve Soldiers and units are subject to this change, which will push us toward the training intent set by Chief, Army Reserve LTG Charles D Luckey and Army Reserve CSM Ted Copeland.

Overview of the new Rifle/Carbine Qualification:

#RoadtoAwesome #KeepPounding #AmericasArmyReserve #USArmyReserve #WeaponsMastery

#USARrifleTeam #USARpistolTeam #USARcombatTeam