Marine Corps Rifle Team wins national championship

[Vulture6]

Marine Corps Rifle Team wins national championship
By: Cpl. Jennifer Brown
Story Submitted: Sep 14, 2006

Top row: Marine Corps Rifle Team staff: (Left to right) Col. Michael Mulligan, Staff Sgt. Kenneth Bain, Master Sgt. Alexander Arrieta, Sgt. Kevin Arbogast, Sgt. Clinton Ziadeh, Maj. Keith Spurlock Bottom Row: National Trophy Team Match Winners from the Marine Corps Rifle Team (Left to right) Staff Sgt. Daniel Diutsman, Gunnery Sgt. Kevin Marion, Staff Sgt. Ryan Benedict, Staff Sgt. Jason Benedict, Staff Sgt. John Godwin, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Billy Ray Williamson. The team won with a score of 2958 with 113 center shots at the National Team Trophy Championship held at the Army National Guard base in Camp Perry, Ohio July 28 through Aug. 15.

The Marine Corps Rifle Team won the National Team Trophy Championship held at the Army National Guard Base in Camp Perry, Ohio July 28 through Aug. 15 and took the famous “Dogs of War” trophy.

The team beat the standing national record by four points with a score of 2958 with 113 center shots. The previous record was set in 1992 by the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit.

Historically, the Marine Corps and Army’s active teams are two of the best rifle teams in the country, according to Chief Warrant Officer 2 Billy Ray Williamson, Marine Corps Rifle and Pistol Teams’ officer in charge here.

“It feels great that we set the national record,” said Master Sgt. Alexander Arrieta, the Marine Corps Rifle Team coach. “We’ve always been rivals at the national championship matches. The last time we beat the Army was 2003.”

“It’s the most important match to us, so winning this really gave meaning to all the hard work, time and effort we have put into these matches and practices,” said Sgt. Clinton Ziadeh, an armorer who builds the rifles for the Marine Corps Rifle Team.

Achieving the trophy is not only about physical preparation, according to Arrieta.

“It’s not about training every day,” he said. “It’s about understanding the type of training and the guidelines to the training. We teach the members not to outshoot each other, but to outshoot themselves.”

The Marine Corps Rifle Team is comprised of six to 12 shooters who shoot individually and as teams at matches throughout the year.

For the National Team Trophy Championship, the teams shoot National Trophy Individual matches and National Trophy Team matches.

For the NTT, six members are selected from the team, five established members and a tyro, the one who is required to have never competed in national matches, according to Williamson.

The teams split into pairs and shoot a course of fire, to include slow fire, rapid fire and timed fire. Each pair is matched up and shoot simultaneously on a target for a cumulative score. Trophies are given to the highest scoring pairs.

For the NTI, members shoot individually against individuals from other military rifle teams and professionals associated with the American Rifle Association to achieve trophies for the highest scores.

Williamson, who had never competed in rifle matches before, took the second place Coast Artillery Trophy in NTI and was only one point from tying for first place.

“The reason I shot was because one of our new Marines didn’t get to remain on the team, so I had to step up as the tyro,” he said. “I put a lot of pressure on myself because I didn’t want to let myself or the team down. I went out there to do the best I could do and ended up doing well.”

This is the 30th time the Marine Corps Rifle Team has won the NTTC since it was established in 1903 and the second time they set the national record.

“This was something I wanted to accomplish before having to leave the team and it feels great that our team was able to make it a reality,” Ziadeh said.

[SpongeJuan]

Well what else can you expect? One shot one kill ready to die but never will

[Grimmy]

Marines can shoot? Who'da thunk it?

[SGRock]

YAWN!!! Again?

Well of course they did. They're Marines. Congrats Marines!

[KARL THE GRUNT]

Well of course they did. They're Marines

I could not have said it better.

There is no better weapon in the world than a Marine and his rifle.
EVERYTHING else is just "Supporting arms".

Karl

[Panzerman]

Originally Posted by KARL THE GRUNT

There is no better weapon in the world than a Marine and his M-249 Squad Automatic Weapon.

Fixed!

[KARL THE GRUNT]

M-249 Squad Automatic Weapon.

Panzerman.

That goes under the heading of supporting arms.

Nothing surpasses the rifleman.

(You all may have guessed that I was an 0311) : )

karl

[Panzerman]

The M-249 is the primary weapon of the Marine Rifle Squad, and the fire team is built around it. Everyone supports the SAW gunner, because the SAW gunner does all the damage.

I'm an 0311 ex-SAW gunner

[Grimmy]

Oh hell, take your packs off and stand down, y'all.

Everyone knows it's all about the '51s. All y'all lead throwers are there simply to keep them peskie crawlies from trying to keep the rocketman from getting a good shot off.

And think about it. It'd be a hella lot more popular event if the USMC Shooting Team was allowed to take Javelins to the match.

[SGRock]

Ready on the left? Ready on the right? All ready on the firing line! Marines, with one Javelin missile LOAD AND LOCK! Look down range and sight in on your TANK! When you have identified your tank, FIRE IT UP!

Then again I still like doing a 35 round fire for effect, per gun, with a platoon of 81's
(8 guns). Mix that up with HE and WP and for even more fun watch the Harriers come in and do clean up runs on the survivors.

So you 51's go ahead with your "one shot, hope I hit it".

[Vulture6]

Not again!!?!?! You two obviously forgot to wear earplugs too many times and the big booms rattled your brain pans.