SACRAMENTO – Four infantrymen from the California National Guard (CNG) proved themselves the Army’s elite marksmen when they brought home top prize in the U.S. Army Small Arms Championship last weekend, solidifying a three-year dynasty of dominance over the Army marksmanship community.
In winning the Army Small Arms Team Championship for the third consecutive year, Team California bested 27 other squads from active-duty Army, Army Reserve and Army National Guard units nationwide. The Team Championship measures a squad’s ability with a rifle and pistol in a variety of events that test physical fitness, decision-making, motor skills and psychological resilience. In addition to the overall title, Team California took first place in the competition’s Multi-Gun Championship, Pistol Championship, Pistol Team Match with 1.5-Mile March, and Paper Team Match.
“This is what you get with our part-time Soldiers in the California National Guard,” said Lt. Col. Daniel Markert, state marksmanship coordinator for the CNG. “They do most of this training on their own time and their own dime. They embody the tradition of the Citizen-Soldier who says, ‘I’m bringing me to the fight; I’m the weapon system.’”
The CNG Marksmanship Program, he added, invests time developing a Soldier’s capabilities, rather than investing in equipment like some other military programs.
“We are developing their skill to operate under extreme pressure, and it doesn’t matter what weapon we hand them,” Markert said. “Then they go back to their units and are now a subject matter expert, so they can bring that expertise and that skill-building mindset to other troops.”
In addition to the Team Championship, CNG members earned a number of individual awards. Sgt. Demetrios Iannios took third place in the overall individual competition, making him the top shooter in the National Guard, and all four CNG competitors ranked among the top five National Guard shooters. Iannios also took second place overall in the Multi-Gun Match and 2nd in the Combat Rifle Excellence in Competition Match, while Staff Sgt. Leif Devemark earned first place in the Pistol Match.