Missouri National Guardsmen compete in annual shooting match

Photo By Staff Sgt. Christopher Saunders | Missouri National Guard soldiers compete in the state’s annual TAG Match, a marksmanship competition sponsored by the adjutant general – or TAG – of Missouri, at Camp Crowder, in Neosho, Missouri, March 23, 2019. The match tests soldier’s endurance and ability to shoot under stress by incorporating running and moving targets, all while requiring them to wear issued gear normally worn during combat operations. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Spc. Christopher Saunders)  

NEOSHO, MO, UNITED STATES

03.24.2019

Story by Spc. Christopher Saunders 

70th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

NEOSHO, Mo. – At 7 a.m., Soldiers stood on their designated lanes, and silently loaded ammunition into their magazines. Occasionally, they looked up at the paper targets posted down range as they slowly became more visible in the brightening sky.

These Soldiers were competing in the Missouri National Guard’s annual TAG Match, a marksmanship competition sponsored by the adjutant general – or TAG – of Missouri, March 21-24, here at Camp Crowder.

The match tested the Soldiers’ endurance and ability to shoot under stress by incorporating running and moving targets, all while requiring them to wear gear normally worn during combat operations.

“It’s more battle-focused than firing on a normal target range,” said Staff Sgt. Travis Mathews, a mobile training team instructor at Fort Leonard Wood. “It really makes them focus on what they’re doing and we hit the fundamentals really hard.”

By the end of the four day match, participants shot in the standing, kneeling and prone positions. The Soldiers’ skills were tested with rifles, pistols and shotguns at targets ranging from 15 to 400 meters.

The exercise culminated in a multi-weapon match on the last day, bringing together all of the lessons learned throughout the week.

Soldiers in this final event are in teams of four. Once the timer starts, the team must run 250 meters down range and immediately engage with dozens of moving and stationary targets with a pistol and shotgun. Once the team has hit all targets, they run another 30 meters and again fire upon targets 250 meters down range.

“We had some rain, which made it tough, but we came together and drove on,” said Sgt. Taylor Bryan of the St. Clair-based 1175th Military Police Company.

While Bryan was awarded top overall individual at this year’s TAG Match, not all of the participants are experienced shooters.

The purpose of the TAG Match is to bring novice and experienced shooters from across the state to teach them as much as possible, improving their overall readiness skills.

“Every year, the TAG Match teams are required to bring in 50 percent new participation,” said Command Sgt. Maj. Will Pierce, the Missouri National Guard’s command senior enlisted leader. “They’re then taught techniques and tactics that they can take back to their home units, which equates to survival in combat.”

The 2019 TAG Match winners are as follows:

1st Place Overall Individual: Sgt. Brian Taylor James, 1175th Military Police Company

1st Place Overall Novice Individual: Sgt. Ross Nathaniel David, 1135th Engineer Company

1st Place Overall Team: Team A, 1175th Military Police Company (Sgt. Brian Taylor James; Sgt. Grapes Michael Lee; Sgt. Groenke Ross Vanleer; Sgt. Phillips Matthew Alexander)

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For more information about the Missouri National Guard, please visit www.moguard.com and our social media sites: www.facebook.com/Missouri.National.Guard; www.twitter.com/Missouri_NG; www.youtube.com/MoNationalGuard; www.flickr.com/photos/missouriguard

• Date Taken: 03.24.2019
• Date Posted: 03.29.2019 16:19
• Story ID: 316234
• Location: NEOSHO, MO, US