Sergeant Zach Healy National Guard Bureau December 10, 2021

Ark Chaffee-A rifle fired, and the sound of the gun broke the silence, launching a downward range at more than twice the speed of sound. Long after the bullet reached the target 600 yards away, the smoke from the muzzle stayed in the air for a while.

"Hit," the sergeant said. Tristian Ivkov, an infantryman in the 1st Battalion of the 157th Infantry Regiment of the Colorado National Guard, turned into a sniper, staring at the rifle scope. "It's on X."

Ivkov is talking with his observer Spc. From December 4th to 9th, at the 51st Winston P. Wilson and 31st Armed Forces Conference Sniper Rifle Competition held at the Fort Chaffee Joint Mobile Training Center, Max Miller was also A member of the Colorado Army Guard participated in one of the many shooting activities. The pair won the WPW sniper competition last year and was invited to participate in the competition as a member of the All-Guard shooting team this year.

These competitions are held annually by the National Guard Shooting Training Center of the Arkansas National Guard. Ivkov said that this is the Super Bowl shooting game of the National Guard.

"I am very impressed with the professionalism and knowledge of the Arkansas instructors," Ivkov said. "They have some of the best coaches that this community must provide. This is impossible to replicate on this site."

Winston P. Wilson's competition includes light weapons, machine guns and sniper championships. Army and Air National Guard personnel from all over the country are eligible to participate in the competition. Armed Forces Skill at Arms Meeting is open to all US military departments and international shooters. This year's competition has shooters from Denmark, the Netherlands, the active army and marines, and special forces.

The Winston P. Wilson and Armed Forces Skill at Arms Meeting sniper competition consists of 33 two-person teams, including a shooter and an observer. The main focus of the shooter is to hit the target, while the observer transmits data such as wind speed and direction, humidity, and bullet trajectory to the shooter.

These teams participated in 20 games to test their ability to accurately strike long-range targets and close targets using different weapon systems. Snipers also need to test their concealment ability when tracking targets. Ivkov said that this competition is the final verification of the sniper's ability to shoot, move and communicate in a stressful environment.

This year, the winner of the Winston P. Wilson competition is Staff Sgt. Caleb Ash and Sergeant. Ryan Marsh, 1st Battalion, 635th Panzer Regiment, Kansas Army National Guard. Staff sergeant. Demetrios Iannios and Eric Vargas of the 223rd Regiment (Regional Training Academy) of the California Army National Guard won first place at the Armed Forces Skills Conference.

Major Meghan Thomas, the combat director of the shooting training center, said that due to the range capacity, NGMTC held a sniper competition at Fort Chaffee. Range rifle shooting.

"Increasing lethality is our main goal here," she said. "You want to be able to trust the people on your left and right. They can pull the trigger when needed and disable the target."

The 233rd Regional Training Academy and NGMTC are headquartered at the Exercise Training Center at Camp Joseph T. Robinson, Arkansas, responsible for the management of the National Guard’s training and competition activities plan

In addition to shooting competitions, NGMTC is also an official army school, offering shooters, light weapons and sniper courses designated by the team. The school is facilitated by the Arkansas National Guard, but is open to soldiers of any army unit. This is the graduate school where many soldiers learn and expand their tactical shooting skills. Soldiers will receive additional skill identifiers when they leave, designating them as shooting experts.

Thomas said that the entire mission of NGMTC is to provide shooting and maintenance training for soldiers from all over the country.

"We are spreading a wealth of knowledge," Thomas said. "And [competition] is a power multiplier. You bring a soldier here, and they can return to their troops and assist in the shooting range, qualifications and [preliminary marksmanship guidance] leading shooting range training."

Guard soldiers usually must participate in the deputy general shooting competition in their state to verify their qualifications and prove that they are ready to participate in the Winston P. Wilson and Armed Forces Skills Conference competition.

However, this is not only about winning, but also about learning from peers, the sergeant said. Howard Hall, an infantryman in the 1st Battalion, Stryker, 185th Infantry Regiment, California Army National Guard.

"Games like this can really take people's skills to a higher level," Hall said. "They continue to push our efforts, not only to be satisfied with the title of sniper, but to really go out and continue to win it every day.

"This is where all the exchange of information and networking happens. For this point alone, it's really great."

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The National Guard Shooting Training Center increases lethality, one round at a time

The National Guard Shooting Training Center increases lethality, one round at a time

The National Guard Shooting Training Center increases lethality, one round at a time

The National Guard Shooting Training Center increases lethality, one round at a time

The National Guard Shooting Training Center increases lethality, one round at a time

The National Guard Shooting Training Center increases lethality, one round at a time

The National Guard Shooting Training Center increases lethality, one round at a time