Photo By Sgt. Heidi Kroll | Soldiers and Airmen of the Alaska National Guard prepare to fire in a rifle...... read more read more
JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska —Alaska Air and Army National Guardsmen teamed up with Coast Guard Sector Anchorage to participate in The Adjutant General’s Match, here, Sept. 7-10, 2017.
The TAG Match is an annual event that tests the participants’ marksmanship skills in a battle-focused environment and is hosted by the Alaska Army National Guard using multiple ranges at JBER.
The four-day competition offered a chance for the service members to share camaraderie and improve marksmanship skills. Guardsmen from the Air and Army service components and U.S. Coast Guard participate in exercises and accomplish real-world missions throughout the year. The TAG match offers another opportunity to do so in a competitive environment.
“I think that there is a lot of respect between the members of the Army and Air National Guard,” said Sgt. Maj. Kenton Connolly, an operations noncommissioned officer in charge with Joint Force Headquarters.
“The match is an opportunity for Airmen and Soldiers to compete in a marksmanship match using combat-related skills,” Connolly explained.
This year’s match included 11 teams with seven separate matches. Two of the matches are part of the Excellence In Competition program that encompasses both rifle and pistol marksmanship disciplines. Two other matches were used to test individual and team marksmanship skills.
In the past, there have been more than 200 participants in the event with several Soldiers and Airmen returning year after year who are able to work with new participants in honing their marksmanship skills.
“I want Soldiers and Airmen to take the skills that they learn at this event back to their units,” explained Air National Guard Staff Sgt. Justin Smythson, an arms instructor with the 213th Space Warning Squadron.
The competition ended with an awards ceremony Sept. 10 recognizing both individual and teams. The TAG’s proficiency badge was awarded to members selected to represent the state in regional and national competitions.
Tech. Sgt. Matthew Moore, Staff Sgt. Justin Smythson, Senior Airmen Nathaniel Grimes, and Airmen Jose Urquiza from the 213th SWS were recognized as the overall team winners of the competition and presented with the Adjutant General’s trophy.
| Date Taken: | 09.14.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 09.14.2017 20:22 |
| Story ID: | 248338 |
| Location: | JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, AK, US |
| Hometown: | CLEAR AIR FORCE STATION, AK, US |
| Web Views: | 312 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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