FORT BENNING, Ga. (November 7, 2013) – The U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit, in conjunction with the Maneuver Center of Excellence, will host the 2014 U.S. Army Small Arms Championships, Jan. 26 – Feb. 1, at Fort Benning, Ga.
The All-Army competition is open to all Soldiers, active and reserve component, of all ranks. Additionally, both West Point and Reserve Officer Training Corps cadets are welcome to participate.
The U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit, or USAMU, hosts the All-Army in order to raise the standard of marksmanship across the force and increase overall Army combat readiness.
Range capacity for the event is 240, and half of those have already been claimed through early registration. Once registration exceeds that number, Soldiers will be placed on a stand-by list for the competition.
There is no cost to compete in the championship and ammunition is provided to all competitors.
USAMU Soldiers will conduct small arms firing schools and hands-on training prior to each match. Instructors include Olympians as well as world, national and inter-service champions.
As the Army’s critical intent is to develop combat firing skills at the entry and intermediate level, Soldiers will compete in separate Cadet, Novice, Open and Pro classes based on their competition experience. Also within the competition, the Army hopes to recognize superior skill at the highest levels.
During the competition, Soldiers will fire M16 or M4 service rifles at distances between 25-500 yards, and M9 pistols between 7-35 yards, in a variety of courses of fire.
There is also a combined arms match, where competitors employ the rifle and pistol in a number of exciting stages of fire that simulate close-quarters marksmanship.
During the pistol and rifle matches, there will be an Excellence-in-Competition Match where all Soldiers can earn points toward their EIC Marksmanship Badges. The prestigious EIC badge takes precedence over standard qualification badges. In addition to individual awards, teams battalion-level and higher can compete for team awards and unit recognition.
For additional information and to register, visit the USAMU website at www.usamu.com or contact the USAMU chief of competitions, at (706) 545-7841.