Photo By Lisa Tourtelot | Lance Cpl. Richard Santos, a Queens, N.Y., native and rifle coach at the Carlos...... read more read more
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QUANTICO, Va. - Four members of the Marine Corps Air Station Miramar Shooting Team are competing in the 50th Annual Interservice Rifle Championship at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Va., July 18 - 26.
The Miramar team, made up of several young Marines, is competing against more than 100 service members in service-wide teams, post or station teams or as individual competitors. One of the four is a competition veteran and is already taking honors.
Chief Warrant Officer Two Jerry McDonough, a San Diego native and utilities officer with Marine Air Support Squadron 3, has already earned the top spot for best individual shooter on a post or station team and best long-range shooter for a post or station team.
“It means a lot to win something,” said McDonough. “This is the 50th anniversary of the interservice rifle championship and I’m glad I was able to represent Miramar.”
While this is McDonough’s second outing to the interservice rifle matches, the other three Marines representing the Miramar team are new to this level of competition.
“This is a serious baptism by fire,” said McDonough.
In addition to being short-handed as a team and some of the newest shooters at the matches, the Miramar team has also faced Virginia’s record-breaking heat.
“The heat has affected everyone,” said Lance Cpl. Richard Santos, a Queens, N.Y., native and rifle coach at the MCAS Miramar Carlos Hathcock Range. “We’re wearing sweatshirts and leather shooting jackets [for stability]. An important part of firing is maintaining your position and with that sun beating down, it’s hell.”
Santos explained that being short-handed and new to interservice competition has had an advantage: camaraderie.
“I’ve received pointers from every branch,” said Santos. “I’m shooting a lot better because of it.”
McDonough added that the extra coaching from the more experienced shooters has boosted the confidence of the Miramar team members.
“The best part of this competition has been seeing the look on [our shooters’] faces when they understand their mistakes and [see improvement],” said McDonough.
The last phase of competition the Miramar team hopes to compete in will be the Marine Corps Infantry Trophy Team Match, during which teams of six firing members will fire 384 rounds of ammunition in four 50-second intervals at 600, 500, 300 and 200 yards.
However, Miramar will need volunteers from other teams to supplement their numbers, explained McDonough.
The competition will conclude with an awards presentation at the National Museum of the Marine Corps July 26.
For more information and up-to-date competition statistics, visit www. odcmp.com.
| Date Taken: | 07.25.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 07.25.2011 19:34 |
| Story ID: | 74307 |
| Location: | MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, VA, US |
| Web Views: | 177 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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