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Air Force Sniper nabs top score at joint marksmanship comp.

  • Published
  • By Airman Ryan Throneberry
  • Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst Public Affairs
JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. --  Air Force Staff Sgt. George Reinas took overall individual honors as servicemembers competed for top honors at the marksmanship competition Oct. 20 through 22 at Range 15.

Reinas, a combat instructor with the 421st Combat Training Squadron, was made famous by his participation in the History Channel's show, "Top Shot", where he placed second out of 16 professional contestants.

The event was an opportunity for participants, both professional and amateur, to sharpen his or her basic marksmanship abilities in a competitive environment.

Members of the Regional Training Center East organized the event and provided all 74 competitors with weapons, ammunition and the necessary gear for the competition.

This was the first event of its kind on the joint base despite the fact Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst ranges have been in place since the early 1900s.

The competitors for this event were not limited to the local JB MDL community.

"We had Soldiers from as far away as Iowa, Virginia and upstate New York show up for this event," said Army Capt. Brendan Shimizu, RTC East C Company commander. "The Army, Air Force, Marine Corps and Navy were all represented at this competition."

Shimizu helped coordinate the event and also acted as the officer in charge on the firing line. The first day of the event was spent training the participants on the M-16 and familiarizing them with the weapon system. The cadre instructed the shooters how to zero-in their individual weapon by making minor adjustments to both the rear and front-sight apertures. This trial-and-error process ensures each weapon will be as accurate as possible for the shooter.

Becoming familiar and practicing with a weapon is necessary for professionals and amateurs alike.

"Marksmanship is the most elite and deadly martial art known to man," said Army Master Sgt. Sean Hartswick, RTC East reservist instructor. "And like any martial art, it must be practiced frequently to keep your skills sharp."

Hartswick is also a President's 100 Tab winner, a coveted marksmanship award given only to the best marksmen from the military and civilian sectors.

Marksmanship is a skill which is applied, at least on a basic level, to each branch of the military. Many servicemembers do not have jobs that require him or her to fire a weapon on a regular basis. An event such as this is an opportunity for servicemembers to re-acquaint themselves with this basic skill.

"I think it's great they set this up for us because it's nice to get out of the office and onto the range," said Air Force Senior Airman Nicholas Mayo, 87th Communications Squadron cyber transport journeyman.