NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – The National Guard All Guard Service Rifle team broke two national records and earned 10 first or second place honors during the Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) National Trophy Rifle Matches last week.
The National Guard sent 14 official representatives to the National Matches at Camp Perry, Ohio, July 26 through Aug. 9, and there were 18 Guardsmen in total.
Staff Sgt. Amanda Elsenboss, Pennsylvania National Guard, broke two national records in the National Trophy Rifle Team Match (NTT). Elsenboss earned the Pershing Trophy for the High NTT Individual and the Rattlesnake Trophy for the High Army Individual with a score of 500-34x.
The National Trophy Rifle Matches, open to all U.S. citizens, provide national championship competitions in service rifle events to preserve the military marksmanship traditions in the United States, according to the CMP. During the competition, 38 national trophies are awarded in various classifications, such as civilian, military, women and juniors.
The National Trophy Rifle Matches trace their history to the 1903 legislation that established the first National Matches and appropriated funds to acquire the National "Dogs of War" Trophy, according to the CMP website. This trophy continues to be one of the most prestigious rifle shooting trophies in the United States, and the National Guard earned second overall this year.
This year's 14-member All Guard Service Rifle team included Chief Master Sgt. Edward Altmeyer, Staff Sgt. Amanda Elsenboss, Chief Warrant Officer 3 Denver Gillham, Master Sgt. Greg Neiderhiser, all Pennsylvania National Guard; Sgt. Josh Hanrahan and Staff Sgt. Brian Rautanen, Wisconsin National Guard; Staff Sgt. John Coggshall, Connecticut National Guard; Maj. Samuel Freeman, South Carolina National Guard; Spc. Jedidiah Gaddie, Michigan National Guard; Lt. Col. Aaron Grimm, Kentucky National Guard; Command Sgt. Maj. Michael Jones, Mississippi National Guard; Sgt. Maxium Nickerson, Vermont National Guard; Staff Sgt. Cody Shields, Ohio National Guard; and 1st Sgt. Glenn Worley, Wyoming National Guard.
Neiderhiser had a perfect shot during the Hearst Doubles Match in his final event as an All Guard member.
Members of the other team, from Pennsylvania, were Maj. Zane Curtiss, Col. David Keifer, Maj. Ian Swisher and 1st Sgt. John Yankowski, who aspire to be All Guard members.
All Guard Team CMP Rifle Results:
National Trophy Team Match
-Overall 2nd place team: All Guard- Grimm (score-2953-132x)
Altmeyer, Coggshall, Elsenboss, Freeman, Grimm, Hanrahan.
-Reserve Component (Hilton Trophy) 1st place: All Guard- Grimm (score-2953-132x)
National Trophy Team Individual
-High NTT Individual (Pershing Trophy) and national record (score 500-34x) 1st place: Elsenboss
-Army (Rattlesnake Trophy) and national record (score 500-34x) 1st place: Elsenboss
-Air Force (General Thomas White Trophy) (score 486-17x) 1st place: Altmeyer
National Infantry Trophy Team Match
-Overall 2nd Place Team: All Guard- Grimm (score 1389)
Coggshall, Elsenboss, Grimm, Hanrahan, Shields
-Reserve Component (Celtic Chieftain Trophy) 1st place: All Guard- Grimm (score 1389)
National President's 100 Rifle Trophy
-1st place: Freeman (score 396-19x)
Hearst Doubles
-Team 2nd place: Coggshall, and Elsenboss (score 595-28x)
-Individual 1st place: Elsenboss (score 300-14x)
Established in 1968, the National Guard Marksmanship Training Center (NGMTC) is the National Guard Home of Marksmanship. NGMTC is the National Guard Bureau's center for managing marksmanship training courses and competitive marksmanship programs to advance small arms lethality, demonstrate National Guard marksmanship capability, and enhance marksmanship effectiveness in combat. NGMTC serves all 54 states and territories and is located on Robinson Maneuver Training Center in North Little Rock, Arkansas. NGMTC is headquarters for the "All Guard" competitive shooting teams: service rifle, service pistol, sniper, multi-gun, tactical athlete and international combat teams. The NGMTC is also home to the annual Winston P. Wilson National Championships, where Guardsmen may earn the NGB Chief's 50 Marksmanship Badge.