54th Interservice Rifle Championship Kicks Off

Photo By Sgt. Logan Block | Lieutenant Gen. Mark A. Brilakis, Commanding General, Marine Corps Recruiting Command, fired the first round during the opening ceremony at the 54th Interservice Rifle Championship held at the Calvin A. Lloyd Complex, Quantico, Va., June 24, 2015. The competition is hosted by Weapons Training Battalion and is scheduled to run from June 24 to July 1. The event includes various individual and team competitions. The awards banquet announcing the winners will take place on July 1 at the Clubs at Quantico.  

QUANTICO, VA, UNITED STATES

06.24.2015

Story by Lance Cpl. Logan Block 

Marine Corps Recruiting Command           

QUANTICO, Va. - The 54th Interservice Rifle Championship began today, June 24, at the Calvin A. Lloyd Complex, Quantico, Va. The event is scheduled to run from June 24 to July 1, and is open to all regular and reserve members of the armed forces, the National Guard and ROTC units. The Marine Corps has run the championship every year besides 1968 and 1969.

Lieutenant Gen. Mark A. Brilakis, Commanding General, Marine Corps Recruiting Command, and Deputy Commandant, Manpower and Reserve Affairs, a native of Lancaster, Pa., fired the opening shot. Brilakis used an M1 Garand, and fired from the 200 yard line.

The championship includes various events, ranging from individual to team, and shooting from distances as far as 1,000 yards. An awards banquet honoring the top shooters and teams is scheduled to be held July 1 at the Clubs at Quantico.

The Interservice Rifle Championship is the last chance for the service members to compete amongst each other before competing at the national level where they compete against the top military and civilian teams in the nation, said Col. Timothy Parker, Commanding Officer, Weapons Training Battalion, native of Queens, N.Y.

Parker said this championship allows the service members to build camaraderie, and he feels the morale of the participants is exceptional. There is a shared level of trust, skill and mental strength to be a competitor, he said.

For more information on the rifle competition, please see MARADMIN 218/15.

• Date Taken: 06.24.2015
• Date Posted: 06.24.2015 16:27
• Story ID: 167988
• Location: QUANTICO, VA, US
• Hometown: LANCASTER, PA, US
• Hometown: QUEENS, NY, US