AF shooting team visits Eglin

  • Published
  • By Kevin Gaddie
  • Team Eglin Public Affairs
Air Force Sports Shooting Team Program members displayed competition firearms and gear and offered information about the Air Force Sports Shooting Program to base exchange patrons Dec. 13.

Maj. Steve Dennis, Air Force Action Shooting Team captain, Capt. Nick Siesser, Action Shooting team member and Capt. Brain Moore, Air Force Skeet Team captain, were on hand to field questions from interested shoppers.

"There are nine different shooting disciplines under the Headquarters Sports Shooting program," Major Dennis said. "With team members throughout the U.S., each team can support up to 10 team members on each team per year."

The teams compete year-round, in different events and under different disciplines, in both military-only competitions and military/civilian competitions. Certain teams compete in some Olympic events, but teams mainly compete in military and civilian shooting events throughout the United States, opened to the novice to professional level shooter.

"The Action Shooting team competed in Fort Benning, Ga. this past weekend," Major Dennis said. "Of the more than 300 competitors, about 95 percent were civilian; the rest were military.

Other styles of shooting the team competes in include major civilian events, steel challenge and tactical matches in pistol and in multi-gun (rifle, pistol and shotgun) competitions," he added.

Being a team member is considered an extracurricular activity and is not a primary assignment. Factors taken into consideration when choosing a person for team membership include shooting discipline experience, availability to compete in events, and an ability to be a positive image for the service.

Major Dennis said that because of military commitments, a full shooting team may not always be present at every event, which adds to the importance of proper individual representation.

"When you're on a team, you represent the Air Force," said Major Dennis, whose primary job is a B-52 electronic warfare officer in the 28th Test and Evaluation Squadron, where he works as a project manager.

"Any time we're on a range, we're not just shooting," he said. "We're talking to people about the Air Force itself, we're talking about our career paths, etc. There's a lot more to this than just shooting on a range."

Captain Siesser, an AC-130 Aircraft Commander stationed at Hurlburt Field, evolved into competitive shooting by first going to a local range for recreation shooting.

"When I was in pilot training, I was at a range, on my own time, and someone said 'hey, have you ever done this type of shooting before?'" Captain Siesser said. "I hadn't. I was invited to a match and I soon started shooting in competition.

Captain Siesser said he enjoys talking to Airmen about the program. "The Air Force is outside the wire now more than ever," he said. "To have guys get experience using small arms, marksmanship, manipulating weapons under stress, in awkward shooting positions, is a win-win for today's Airmen."

Captain Moore, an ICU nurse at Eglin's hospital, has been a fierce skeet shooting competitor for years. His shooting and developmental teams represent the Air Force at annual Armed Forces Championships, World Championships, and other competitions across the nation.

Skeet shooters shoot at groups of 25 bright orange targets launched in the air, the goal being to hit as many targets as possible.

The skeet teams have won the Military World Championships the last seven years, and the Armed Forces Championships five out of the last seven years, according to Captain Moore.

Captain Moore said the Rifle and Pistol Club and the Skeet Range Club, both located at Hurlburt Field, are available to both competitive and recreational shooters.

"We're always recruiting new shooters," he said. "The goal is to go to these competitions and beat the fire out the Army, Navy, Marine Corps and everybody else."

For more information on the Air Force Shooting Program, go to http://www.usafsports.com/Sports/Shooting.htm. For more information on skeet shooting, call the Hurlburt Skeet and Range Club at (850) 884-6939/3336, or visit www.myhurlburt.com/pages/skeet.html.