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188th marksmen muster strong showing at TAG match

  • Published
  • By man 1st Class Cody Martin
  • 188th Wing Public Affairs
Training is essential for every Guardsman. Continued training is essential to ensure they can accomplish any task with precision. By attending the 2014 The Adjutant General (TAG) Match on July 25, 2014, members of the 188th Wing were able to not only compete with Guardsmen throughout the state, but to test their training, learn new techniques and use their knowledge to teach to younger Soldiers and Airmen.

Palmer, along with Koeth and Staff Sgt. Devin Humphrey, represented the 188th Wing at the TAG Match, held at Camp Joseph T. Robinson, North Little Rock, Arkansas.

Tech Sgt. Frank Koeth, 188th Security Forces Squadron (SFS), received the Governor's Twenty Award for Rifle, first place in the Unknown Distance and Combined Sniper Weapons System Match and second place in the EIC Rile Match. His combined scores in the rifle events earned first overall in the Combat Rifle Individual Championship.

Master Sgt. Greg Palmer, 188th SFS noncommissioned officer in charge of combat arms, received the Governor's Twenty Award for pistol and will receive the Bronze Pistol Badge from the Excellence in Competition (EIC) Program.

"Our marksmanship team has always performed admirably and this year was no different," said Col. Mark Anderson, 188th Wing commander. "This is an outstanding event and we're proud of how well our Airmen competed."

Upon arrival, they went through small arms firing school and attended briefings on safety and skill sets.

"It is primarily focused on training of marksmen and future marksmen," Palmer said. "You compete against fellow National Guardsmen within the state, whether they are Army or Air Force, and you're there to gain experience and you're there to teach others."

The TAG Match consists of 10 different bouts with combinations of all of the weapons systems.

"This year in particular they were very ambitious," Palmer said. "We fired more matches this year than I have ever fired at a TAG Match. Normally we shoot five, maybe six matches."

Their accomplishments have qualified both Palmer and Koeth for the Marksmanship Advisory Council fifth division (MAC-V) Regional Match.

Koeth said the TAG Match provides solid preparation for the regional competition.

"I've been doing this for 16 years, and I have always learned something new at every weapons training event I've attended," said Koeth. "They taught a basic marksmanship class and I picked up new techniques there."

Although Palmer will not be able to attend, Koeth will go on to represent Arkansas in the MAC-V Regional Match and will be shooting as a member of the Alpha team.

"The Alpha team is the one shooting for the overall team awards," Koeth said. "The Bravo and Charlie teams are there to get experience and shoot the matches so that they can one day come down and shoot as an Alpha team and be competing against all the other teams in the other states."

The MAC-V Regional Match will be held in Hastings, Nebraska, Aug. 20-24, 2014. To prepare, Koeth has been busy practicing the matches, zeroing different site systems and studying the official match program.

"I'm ready to go and do the best I can against some really tough competition," Koeth said. "No matter what, I'll learn a lot, make some new connections in the shooting world and bring back good information to make sure the 188th can put together a team that will be competitive at all levels."

188th marksmen muster strong showing at TAG match

  • Published
  • By man 1st Class Cody Martin
  • 188th Wing Public Affairs
Training is essential for every Guardsman. Continued training is essential to ensure they can accomplish any task with precision. By attending the 2014 The Adjutant General (TAG) Match on July 25, 2014, members of the 188th Wing were able to not only compete with Guardsmen throughout the state, but to test their training, learn new techniques and use their knowledge to teach to younger Soldiers and Airmen.

Palmer, along with Koeth and Staff Sgt. Devin Humphrey, represented the 188th Wing at the TAG Match, held at Camp Joseph T. Robinson, North Little Rock, Arkansas.

Tech Sgt. Frank Koeth, 188th Security Forces Squadron (SFS), received the Governor's Twenty Award for Rifle, first place in the Unknown Distance and Combined Sniper Weapons System Match and second place in the EIC Rile Match. His combined scores in the rifle events earned first overall in the Combat Rifle Individual Championship.

Master Sgt. Greg Palmer, 188th SFS noncommissioned officer in charge of combat arms, received the Governor's Twenty Award for pistol and will receive the Bronze Pistol Badge from the Excellence in Competition (EIC) Program.

"Our marksmanship team has always performed admirably and this year was no different," said Col. Mark Anderson, 188th Wing commander. "This is an outstanding event and we're proud of how well our Airmen competed."

Upon arrival, they went through small arms firing school and attended briefings on safety and skill sets.

"It is primarily focused on training of marksmen and future marksmen," Palmer said. "You compete against fellow National Guardsmen within the state, whether they are Army or Air Force, and you're there to gain experience and you're there to teach others."

The TAG Match consists of 10 different bouts with combinations of all of the weapons systems.

"This year in particular they were very ambitious," Palmer said. "We fired more matches this year than I have ever fired at a TAG Match. Normally we shoot five, maybe six matches."

Their accomplishments have qualified both Palmer and Koeth for the Marksmanship Advisory Council fifth division (MAC-V) Regional Match.

Koeth said the TAG Match provides solid preparation for the regional competition.

"I've been doing this for 16 years, and I have always learned something new at every weapons training event I've attended," said Koeth. "They taught a basic marksmanship class and I picked up new techniques there."

Although Palmer will not be able to attend, Koeth will go on to represent Arkansas in the MAC-V Regional Match and will be shooting as a member of the Alpha team.

"The Alpha team is the one shooting for the overall team awards," Koeth said. "The Bravo and Charlie teams are there to get experience and shoot the matches so that they can one day come down and shoot as an Alpha team and be competing against all the other teams in the other states."

The MAC-V Regional Match will be held in Hastings, Nebraska, Aug. 20-24, 2014. To prepare, Koeth has been busy practicing the matches, zeroing different site systems and studying the official match program.

"I'm ready to go and do the best I can against some really tough competition," Koeth said. "No matter what, I'll learn a lot, make some new connections in the shooting world and bring back good information to make sure the 188th can put together a team that will be competitive at all levels."