09-26-2007, 09:10 PM
MEHTAR LAM, Afghanistan - The Embedded Training Team from the 4th Kandak Battalion, 1st Brigade, 201st Corps, hosted the Laghman Province Combat Pistol Match, for teams from the U.S. Army and the Afghanistan national army Sept. 15. The Embedded Training Team Soldiers competed with their M-9 or M-11 issued pistols and the Afghan national army participants shot Smith and Wesson 9 mm pistols.
The event coincided with the grand opening of a new range built by the Embedded Training Team on Forward Operating Base Mehtar Lam designed by Maj. William D Peveler of the Kentucky Army National Guard, the Embedded Training Team senior mentor.
The range was built by Afghan national army engineers using 10-foot hescos stacked on top of each other, with two hescos on the bottom for support of the top hesco. A bulldozer then dug down into the range pushing dirt up against the back wall of the hesco. Tarps were added to the back of the range to hold the dirt barrier in place, rocks removed and target boards were placed.
Because of limited space, the range is only 20 yards in length but, considering the limited area of most forward operating bases, is considered adequate for training small teams, according to Maj. William D. Peveler of the Embedded Training Team. The range is considered to be a great asset to members of the Afghan national army as it allows them to conduct marksmanship training with their American counterparts, he added.
The event was attended by Afghanistan National Army Commander Maj. Gen. Qadam Shaw of the 1st of the 201st Corps and Lt. Col. George Schwartz of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard, the brigade senior mentor who praised the event for simultaneously promoting training and teamwork.
"Competitive matches are a great way to build friendships and improve Soldiers' skills," Shaw said. Matches were conducted for both individual and team events. The coalition range was used for the individual events while the Afghanistan national army range was simultaneously used for the team events.
The event consisted of each shooter firing three magazines of 12 rounds each. The first magazine is fired from a distance of 15 yards, while standing. The shooter is required to score a hit on the face of the target and two hits on the body. The second and third magazines are fired while standing from a distance of 15 yards while firing at different time intervals.
The event consisted of each shooter firing three magazines of 15 rounds each. The first magazine is fired, with the dominant hand, from a distance of 20 yards from the target while kneeling. The second magazine is also fired from a distance of 20 yards, however the shooter must fire with the opposite hand. The first two magazines must be fired within 90 seconds. The last magazine is fired from 15 yards away from the target, with the primary hand. Scoring is based upon the location of the hit on the target.
The combat pistol match proved to be a great success as Soldiers identified weaknesses in their shooting techniques as well as friendly competition. The event has motivated many soldiers to improve their techniques by shooting more often so that they can score higher in the next competition.
"Any time you can put rounds down range, it's great," said Sgt. Maj. Steven Owens of the West Virginia Army National Guard. "The more you shoot the better you get. Competitive matches are a great way to motivate Soldiers into staying sharp."
The individual match award was won by Sgt. Josh Steele of Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 158th Infantry Regiment, of the Arizona Army National Guard. More than 30 Soldiers and Airmen participated.
The team match award was won by Maj. Gordon Ramey of the West Virginia Army National Guard, Capt. William Ferrell of the Kentucky Army National Guard, Air Force Capt. Richard Engleman and Afghanistan national army Capt. Abdul Jabar. A total of eight four-man teams participated.
The match was a U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit certified combat pistol match. Formed in 1956 by President Dwight D. Eisenhower to raise the standards of marksmanship throughout the U.S. Army, the Army Marksmanship Unit is assigned to the Accessions Support Brigade of the U.S. Army Accessions Command. The Marksmanship Unit of Fort Benning, Ga., trains its Soldiers to win competitions and enhances combat readiness through train-the-trainer clinics, research and development.
For more information on conducting competitive shooting matches, see Army Regulation 350-66 and Army Regulation 600-8-22.
Media Contact:
Paula Randall Paula.Randall@USAAC.ARMY.MIL
The event coincided with the grand opening of a new range built by the Embedded Training Team on Forward Operating Base Mehtar Lam designed by Maj. William D Peveler of the Kentucky Army National Guard, the Embedded Training Team senior mentor.
The range was built by Afghan national army engineers using 10-foot hescos stacked on top of each other, with two hescos on the bottom for support of the top hesco. A bulldozer then dug down into the range pushing dirt up against the back wall of the hesco. Tarps were added to the back of the range to hold the dirt barrier in place, rocks removed and target boards were placed.
Because of limited space, the range is only 20 yards in length but, considering the limited area of most forward operating bases, is considered adequate for training small teams, according to Maj. William D. Peveler of the Embedded Training Team. The range is considered to be a great asset to members of the Afghan national army as it allows them to conduct marksmanship training with their American counterparts, he added.
The event was attended by Afghanistan National Army Commander Maj. Gen. Qadam Shaw of the 1st of the 201st Corps and Lt. Col. George Schwartz of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard, the brigade senior mentor who praised the event for simultaneously promoting training and teamwork.
"Competitive matches are a great way to build friendships and improve Soldiers' skills," Shaw said. Matches were conducted for both individual and team events. The coalition range was used for the individual events while the Afghanistan national army range was simultaneously used for the team events.
The event consisted of each shooter firing three magazines of 12 rounds each. The first magazine is fired from a distance of 15 yards, while standing. The shooter is required to score a hit on the face of the target and two hits on the body. The second and third magazines are fired while standing from a distance of 15 yards while firing at different time intervals.
The event consisted of each shooter firing three magazines of 15 rounds each. The first magazine is fired, with the dominant hand, from a distance of 20 yards from the target while kneeling. The second magazine is also fired from a distance of 20 yards, however the shooter must fire with the opposite hand. The first two magazines must be fired within 90 seconds. The last magazine is fired from 15 yards away from the target, with the primary hand. Scoring is based upon the location of the hit on the target.
The combat pistol match proved to be a great success as Soldiers identified weaknesses in their shooting techniques as well as friendly competition. The event has motivated many soldiers to improve their techniques by shooting more often so that they can score higher in the next competition.
"Any time you can put rounds down range, it's great," said Sgt. Maj. Steven Owens of the West Virginia Army National Guard. "The more you shoot the better you get. Competitive matches are a great way to motivate Soldiers into staying sharp."
The individual match award was won by Sgt. Josh Steele of Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 158th Infantry Regiment, of the Arizona Army National Guard. More than 30 Soldiers and Airmen participated.
The team match award was won by Maj. Gordon Ramey of the West Virginia Army National Guard, Capt. William Ferrell of the Kentucky Army National Guard, Air Force Capt. Richard Engleman and Afghanistan national army Capt. Abdul Jabar. A total of eight four-man teams participated.
The match was a U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit certified combat pistol match. Formed in 1956 by President Dwight D. Eisenhower to raise the standards of marksmanship throughout the U.S. Army, the Army Marksmanship Unit is assigned to the Accessions Support Brigade of the U.S. Army Accessions Command. The Marksmanship Unit of Fort Benning, Ga., trains its Soldiers to win competitions and enhances combat readiness through train-the-trainer clinics, research and development.
For more information on conducting competitive shooting matches, see Army Regulation 350-66 and Army Regulation 600-8-22.
Media Contact:
Paula Randall Paula.Randall@USAAC.ARMY.MIL