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MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan. - Airmen from McConnell and surrounding units recently tested their precision and discipline during an Elementary Level Excellence-in-Competition (EEIC) Rifle Match, September 18, 2025.
Hosted by the 22nd Security Forces Squadron's Combat Arms Training and Maintenance (CATM) unit, the event brought together nearly 100 competitors aiming for top honors and official recognition of their marksmanship achievements.
The EEIC match is designed to test an Airman's ability to shoot accurately from various positions under pressure. Participants fired the M4 Carbine with iron sights from prone, sitting, kneeling and standing positions, all unsupported. The competition culminated in a rapid fire round in which competitors had to fire 20 rounds in 45 seconds to be scored. Instructors from CATM were on hand throughout the event to record scores and ensure integrity in the competition.
The winner, Chief Master Sgt. Dale Brooks, 184th Security Forces Squadron senior enlisted leader, scored 461 of a possible 500 points.
“I was just hoping to pass,” Brooks said. “I’m getting pretty close to retirement now, so I was just excited to have this opportunity before I retire.”
The remaining top 10 finishers and their scores are:
Tech. Sgt. Skylar Shepard, 931st Civil Engineer Squadron – 454
Master Sgt. Bryce Woodall, 22nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron – 437
Tech. Sgt. Nathaniel Forrider, 349th Air Refueling Squadron – 433
Senior Airman Christian Araiza, 22nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron – 426
Senior Airman Duell Arnold, 350th Air Refueling Squadron – 423
Lt. Col. Aaron Vogeler, 22nd Maintenance Group – 422
Lt. Col. Mark Truxillo, 22nd Medical Group – 421
Capt. Jonathon Hicks, 22nd Operations Group – 417
Capt. Bailey Bates, 22nd Security Forces Squadron – 415
For many, this competition was a crucial first step in a long journey toward achieving the Air Force's Distinguished Rifleman Badge. The EEIC is the only match open to Airmen who have not yet earned points in an Excellence-in-Competition event. The top 10 percent of competitors at the McConnell competition received a special badge and official letters of recognition from the Air Force Security Forces Center and the National Rifle Association. More importantly, they will earn four points toward the coveted Distinguished Rifleman Badge, a prestigious honor earned by fewer than 350 Airmen across the entire active, reserve and guard Air Force components since the program's inception in 1887.
“The Air Force won’t host an actual EIC unless it is nationally sanctioned,” said Tech. Sgt. Nicholas Mullins, 22nd Security Forces Squadron non-commissioned officer in charge of logistics and readiness. “Those would be silver medal matches, and what we just did was a bronze medal match.”
The event was a testament to the high standards of training and readiness at McConnell, showcasing the fundamental skills that are the root of military effectiveness. As Airmen continue to hone their abilities, matches like the EEIC provide a competitive and professional forum to recognize and reward exceptional performance in marksmanship.
Tech. Sgt. Mullins said, “We are hosting a pistol EEIC in April, and we are hoping to be allotted a lot more slots for that.”
For those Airmen who either could not make it or loved it so much they want to try again, the upcoming EEIC will bring an opportunity to hone these mission-essential skills on a different shooting platform.
| Date Taken: | 09.23.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 09.23.2025 09:42 |
| Story ID: | 549034 |
| Location: | MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, KANSAS, US |
| Web Views: | 56 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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