MOODY AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. -- The 23d Security Forces Squadron hosted an Excellence-In-Competition shooting match Sept. 23-25, here.
The three-day competition was held to boost morale and test how accurate active duty military members can shoot authorized duty pistols of their respective career fields.
“Having this competition [gives] Airmen of all career fields the opportunity to collaborate and [network] with Airmen who are from a career field, where firearms are a tool in their day-to-day operations,” said Master Sgt. Dan Nelson, 23d Maintenance Group self-assessment program manager. “This helped to build the comfort level of safely handling firearms.”
During the event, participants were challenged to shoot a target that had rings of various point values, ranging from six to 10. The maximum amount of points a contestant could have scored was 300.
“Shooters shot a total of 30 rounds at a target that was 25 meters away,” said Staff Sgt. Jeffrey Maxson 23d SFS combat arms instructor. “All shots inside of the 7-point ring counted [as its respective amount]. All shots outside of the 7-point ring counted as a zero.”
The competition was comprised of three different relays. Participants were challenged to fire rounds at various speeds.
“[Contestants] were judged on how accurate they can shoot with one hand and both hands in a matter of time,” said Maxson. “They had certain time frames they had to [shoot within]. If they didn’t fire all of the required rounds in the [allotted] time, their [remaining] rounds counted as zeros.”
The competition gave Airmen of various career fields the opportunity to have fun while maintaining mission readiness.
“These events are important because they allow experienced shooters to offer tips and tricks to those who may not be as familiar with firearms,” said Nelson. “It was a relatively stress-free environment, where Airmen didn’t have to worry about qualifications.”
Contestants who scored in the top 10% earn a marksmanship badge to wear on their dress uniform.