Ranger Wins MCoE Pistol Title
By Michael Molinaro USAMU PAO
FORT BENNING, Ga. –-(Ammoland.com)- Soldiers from the 75th Ranger Regiment and Cadets from North Georgia College dominated the field at the Maneuver Center of Excellence Combat Pistol Championships Feb. 9-10 at Parks Range.
Hosted by the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit, more than 60 Soldiers and Cadets squared off in three individual matches and two team matches to determine the top pistol shooters on post.
Fort Benning is the only Army installation to host its own marksmanship competition.
Sgt. 1st Class Nelson Ashbrook, 75th Ranger Regt., took home the top prize with an aggregate score of 520-32x, displaying consistency throughout the entire match. Shooting in the novice division, he won the final match to secure the championship.
Coming in second was fellow Ranger Sgt. 1st Class Jeramy Smith. Smith, the top shooter in the open division, scored a 502-22x. Smith had the high score in the Excellence-in-Competition match.
Placing in third place was the high cadet, Cadet Erik Carlson of North Georgia College and State University. He had a final tally of 492-17x and won the first match of the championship.
NGCSU swept both team matches to win the overall team championship, the second consecutive year they have done so. Team members were: Carlson, CDT Casey Jemelka, CDT Robert Hull, and CDT Jacob Freeman. 75th Rangers came in second and a second team from NGCSU finished in third.
Soldiers were afforded the opportunity to earn EIC points in an effort to obtain their distinguished pistol badges, which are more distinguished than normal qualification badges and eligible for wear on their uniforms. Six Soldiers earned enough points to earn their bronze distinguished pistol badge: Sgt. 1st Class Dustin Rademacher, 75th Ranger Regt.; Sgt. 1st Class Emil Praslick, USAMU; Sgt. 1st Class Grant Shanaman, U.S. Army Combatives School; Freeman and Hull, NGCSU; and Maj. David Schultz, 2nd Battalion, 330th Infantry Regt.
The matches are designed as both a competition and a training event. They serve to train and support the war fighter and prepare local shooters for the U.S. Small Arms Championships, scheduled to be held in late March on the same ranges.
The MCoE Combat Rifle Championship will be held Feb. 22-24. The U.S. Army Small Arms Championship is slated to be held Mar. 18-26
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.