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Story by: Lt. Col. Deanna Miller - 107th Airlift Wing
Dated: Fri, May 4, 2012
On April 22nd to April 28th, these soldiers and airman competed in the 41st Annual Winston P. Wilson National Skill at Arms Match, Camp Robinson, North Little Rock, Arkansas.
The team was made up of members of the New York Air National Guard’s 107th Airlift Wing, Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station & the New York Army Guards 152nd Engineers, Connecticut St. Armory, Buffalo.
Members from the 107th included Master Sgt. Edward Stefik, Tech Sgts. Christopher Doherty and Warren Jones and Staff Sgt. Brian Aldinger. Members of the the 152nd included Staff Sgts. William Snyder and Michael Kapela, and Sgts. John Roe and Timothy Jacobson.
The team tested their marksmanship skills against the finest military marksmen in the world. There was no finer format to evaluate their professional ability with small arms than training events like the Winston P. Wilson. This event has a remarkable history and fosters a tremendous spirit of competition and camaraderie across the nation.
The N.Y. Team was lead by Stefik, 107th Security Forces . "The goal for each participant is to leave the match validating perishable marksmanship skills, and enforce the lessons learned with fellow service members, and to ensure the success of future military operations", he said. All team members have been forward deployed and understand the importance of personal readiness and combat-oriented training. With 16 individual and team matches, the week long event was both physically and mentally demanding.
There were approximately 400 participants from every state in the union and territories.
Stefik ranked fourth in the Combat Frontal Assault Match and eighth in Combat Reflexive Fire. Jones finished in the top 10% of the Combat Pistol matches. Both members ranked in the top percent of their individual aggregate scores. New comers to the match, Aldinger and Jacobs also finished in the top percentages of the novice ranking.
Doherty has competed in the State TAG match and regional matches. " At every match all participants still have a healthy and enthusiastic attitude open to learning, no matter what marksmanship level they are at," he stated. " From this experience all team members return to their units with solid training in combative disciplines."
New York State Command Sgt. Maj. Frank Wicks attended the competition representing Major General Patrick Murphy, New York State Adjutant General.
