California Guardsman Claims Top Honors At Small Arms Championship

by Ammoland February 11, 2013

By Michael Molinaro
USAMU PAO

FORT BENNING, Ga. — Sgt. 1st Class Geoffrey Applegate (center), California National Guard, took home the top prize at the 2013 U.S. Army Small Arms Championship after winning the overall individual championship. He is presented a Secretary of the Army M-1 Garand Trophy Rifle by Lt. Col. Don King, commander, U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit (left) and Col. Michael W. Rauhut, commander, 197th Infantry Brigade. Besides winning his first championship, Applegate was also a member of the overall team champions and earned his distinguished rifleman’s badge. Sgt. 1st Class John Buol finished in second place and four-time defending champion Master Sgt. Russell Moore came in third. (Photo by Michael Molinaro, USAMU)

United States Army Marksmanship Unit

FORT BENNING, Ga. –-(Ammoland.com)- A California National Guardsman needed an extra suitcase to haul away the hardware he collected at this year’s U.S. Army Small Arms Championship.

Sgt. 1st Class Geoffrey Applegate won the overall individual championship, ending the reign of the competition’s four-time defending champion and putting an exclamation point on an outstanding two-week run at the All-Army.

“I am still a bit overwhelmed,” said Applegate, an infantryman with the 184th Infantry Regiment. “I love this competition. I have a competitive spirit—it’s what I love to do and to win here at the All-Army is awesome.”

A railroad conductor/engineer who lives in Weed, Calif., this was Applegate’s third time at the All-Army. He improved on his 17th-place finish in 2012 to get his name engraved on the champion’s trophy. In addition to Applegate’s overall championship, he and members of Team California claimed the overall team championship. He also earned the coveted Distinguished Rifleman’s Badge, the open class title and was the combined arms match individual winner. Among the items he was awarded for his strong showing was a Secretary of the Army M-1 Garand Trophy Rifle.

Army Reservists Sgt. 1st Class John Buol and Master Sgt. Russell Moore took second and third place, respectively. Moore came into the match as the reigning four-time champion. He won the overall pistol individual championship.

“It doesn’t matter how many times I come here I always learn a lot,” Applegate said. “When you get to train and shoot against Soldiers like (Master) Sgt. Moore, whose name is on those trophies since he was a staff sergeant and is an amazing shot, you are going to learn something.”

Spc. Nicholas Girardin, Maine National Guard, won the novice class overall individual championship. More than half of the field competed in the novice class of shooters. The competition was originally structured to influence novice shooters the chance to gain invaluable marksmanship training in an effort to enhance the coverall combat readiness of the Army, which still holds true today.

“I learned so much in these two weeks and had a lot of fun,” Girardin said, a computer detection systems repairman with the 152nd Maintenance Company. “I loved the combined arms match since we never get to do that sort of thing. I met a lot of people who gave me advice. My marksmanship got a lot better in just these two weeks.”

The matches at the championship were designed to raise the shooting proficiency of Soldiers and units across the Army by teaching advanced combat marksmanship techniques using issue rifles and pistols. Soldiers shot in several pistol, rifle matches and a combined arms match to test their capabilities against their peers. Weather played into the event as Soldiers dealt with cold mornings, unseasonably warm days and one day when Mother Nature tested everyone’s mettle with a torrential rain storm.

“It rains in wars so it just made things realistic,” Applegate said. “There’s no better training aid for shooting than All-Army. You get the best shooters, a whole range of shooters, and you can pull from so many. It’s a friendly competition but its serious business when we get on the line.”

Individual Awards:

Overall champion: Sgt. 1st Class Geoffrey Applegate
Rifle Champion: SGT Evan Messer
Pistol Champion: MSG Russell Moore
Combined Arms Champion: Sgt. 1st Class Geoffrey Applegate
High Drill Sergeant: SFC Nuel Allee
High Active duty (E1-E4): SPC John Rummage
High Reservist (E1-E4): SPC Sean McDaniel
High Guardsman (E1-E4): SPC Nicholas Girardin
Col. Ralph Puckett Trophy: SGT Chauncey Reed
Pistol EIC: SSG Eric Lawrence
Rifle EIC: SSG Kyle Bartman

Team Awards:

Overall Champions: Team California
Rifle Champions: Maine National Guard
Pistol Champions: Maine National Guard
Combined Arms Champions: Team California

FORT BENNING, Ga. – Navigating both a combined arms stage and a steady downpour of rain, Army Reservist Master Sgt. Russell Moore competes Feb. 7 at the 2013 U.S. Army Small Arms Championships. Moore, the four-time defending overall champion of the event, finished in third place overall and won the combat pistol title. (Photo by Michael Molinaro, USAMU)

FORT BENNING, Ga. — Army Reservist Staff Sgt. Robert Szkutnik fires during a combined arms stage Feb. 6 during the 2013 U.S. Army Small Arms Championships. Soldiers from the entire force participated in the two-week marksmanship training event, competing against their peers and receiving invaluable marksmanship training in pistol, rifle and combined arms matches. (Photo by Michael Molinaro, USAMU)

About USAMU:
The USAMU enhances the Army’s recruiting effort, raises the standard of the Army’s marksmanship proficiency, and supports the Army’s small arms research and development initiatives in order to raise the Army’s overall combat readiness. For more information on the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit, contact the Public Affairs Office at (706) 545-5436, Michael.Molinaro@usaac.army.mil or www.USAMU.com.