Each team is equipped with a sniper and a spotter, and is designed to test sniper marksmanship, fielding and other related combat skills, and is considered a realistic exercise. (U.S. Army National Guard)
The U.S. recently held its annual sniper tournament, which brought together elite snipers, and the National Guard (National Guard) emerged as the winner, defeating the best of the best, including Special Forces.
Thirty-five sniper teams from U.S. combat units gathered earlier this month for the 50th Winston P. Wilson Sniper Championship and the 30th Annual Armed Forces Skills Competition (AFSAM), the latter of which received more attention because the teams competed together.
The AFSAM is organized by the National Guard Marksmanship Training Center and Sniper School at Fort Chaffee, Arkansas, where each team is equipped with a sniper and spotter to test sniper marksmanship, fielding and other related combat skills in what is considered a realistic exercise.
The competition consisted of 28 events, including shooting, infiltration, extraction and tracking, and was won by Demetrios Iannios and Staff Sergeant Eric Vargas, representing the California National Guard, with a total score of 625.5, beating out the second and third place Special Forces and Marine Raider Regiment (Marine) training teams. The team beat the second and third place Special Forces and Marine Raider training teams, who scored 500 and 455 points, respectively.
The other Winston Wilson Sniper Championship, held exclusively for the National Guard, ended with teams from Colorado, Iowa and Utah taking the top three spots, respectively.
After winning the championship, Staff Sgt. Vargas said modestly, “We’re all here to do our jobs, to be the best in our field, to be proficient in shooting and to do it perfectly,” and emphasized that regardless of the combat unit, all participants wore the U.S. flag on their right shoulder, all for the sake of the country.
Staff Sergeant Vargas, representing the California National Guard, beat the field to win the championship with a total score of 625.5, beating out the Special Forces and Marine Raider Regiment, which came in second and third place. (U.S. Army National Guard)
The U.S. Army National Guard recently held its annual sniper tournament, and the National Guard came out on top, beating out the best of the best, including Special Forces. (U.S. Army National Guard)
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