FORT DEVENS, M.A. - Tech Sgt. Michael Strempfer, an aerospace ground equipment mechanic with the 157th Air Refueling wing, New Hampshire Air National Guard, won the overall championship for combined arms in The Adjutant General’s Combat Marksmanship Match (TAG Match), held July 16-19, 2025, here.
The four-day competition tested 78 New Hampshire National Guard (NHNG) soldiers and airmen, as well as state partners El Salvador and Cabo Verde, on marksmanship capabilities and accuracy under varying stressful environments.
“We need to out-innovate and out-compete in order to win for the future battleground tomorrow,” said Maj. Gen. David Mikolaites, the adjutant general for the NHNG, and a consistent competitor. “That means being here, getting in the repetitions and mastering the fundamentals.”
This year’s TAG Match featured 10 marksmanship skill events, using both the M17 pistol and the M16 rifle. Scoring was weighted by team and individual efforts, focusing on their abilities with both the rifle and pistol.
Different events included elements such as rapid fire, time constraints under 10 seconds, running before engaging with targets, firing distances varying from 10 yards to 500 yards, and dominant-arm-only firing.
This year, Command Sgt. Maj. Caleb Smith, the senior enlisted advisor for the NHNG, competed in the match for the first time.
“I wanted to compete because I always look forward to seeing soldiers and teams out doing their basic soldier tasks,” said Smith. “Shooting is a fundamental soldier skill, so I’m out here to do it, and I will definitely be back.”
Smith also explained, the purpose of the TAG Match is to provide an opportunity for soldiers and airmen to get out in the field as a group, practice and master their marksmanship fundamentals in a competition-based environment.
"I came here to see how well I can shoot under pressure in a competitive environment,” said Pfc. Daniel Svendsen, an infantryman with Charlie Company, 3rd Battalion, 172nd Infantry Regiment (Mountain), New Hampshire Army National Guard. “This is my second year doing this event, and I've improved from last year after going through all the events and getting more time to fire."
Svendson said that even those in his team that were skilled shooters, with plenty of marksmanship experience between infantry training and civilian range time, were able to gain useful skills from this event and ultimately build comradery.
This event has become a staple in the NHNG, bringing together not only the air and army components, but also the state partnerships each year. This is a training that is not easily overlooked and offers much more than just shooting practice.
| Date Taken: | 07.20.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 08.05.2025 09:50 |
| Story ID: | 543295 |
| Location: | FORT DEVENS, MASSACHUSETTS, US |
| Web Views: | 9 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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