USAMU
How I Got Started In Shooting: PFC William H. Stewart
I started shooting trap in the Scholastic Clay Target Program at my school in 2006. Even though my school’s team only lasted a year, I decided to keep shooting. There was a local trap shooting team at the gun club I shot at, so I decided to shoot with them for a couple years. During those two years, my home state, Tennessee, held their very fi rst Junior Olym- pics. With only two weeks to pre- pare for the Tennessee State Ju- nior Olympics, I was introduced to international skeet by one of my coaches. Once I started shooting international skeet,
I
was hooked. I knew right then it was the sport in which I wanted to compete. Even though I didn’t shoot the minimum score to compete at the National Junior Olympics in skeet, I qualifi ed in trap. I was so excited once I got the invitation to compete with the best junior shooters across the country.
After shooting bunker for
a while, I decided I wanted to give international skeet another chance. I stopped shooting trap and started focusing on skeet. I competed in a couple of NSSA shoots and several SCTP match-
es over the few years, shooting both American and international skeet. I also attended a couple clinics a few times a year. My most memorable one was in Fort Benning, Ga. In 2010, I was selected to become a member of USA Shooting’s Junior Olympic Team. I felt proud to wear my vest to all the competitions and become a member of a team that some people never get to experience. In 2011 at the National Junior Olympics, I placed second and made the National Junior Team. At my next competition, I de- cided to ask Sgt. Mark Weeks what the United States Army Marks- manship Unit was like and let him know that I was interested in joining the Army. After I talked to him and shot well at the match, Sgt. Weeks decided to give me a chance and I received my letter of acceptance to the USAMU. Once I got my letter, the next
day I went to the recruiter and started my recruiting process.
I
enlisted in August of 2012 and my ship date for basic was in January 2013. My last match as a civilian was in Kerrville, Texas where I made my fi rst World Cup Team. Unfortunately, I couldn’t attend because I would be in ba- sic training.
Before I knew it, my ship date was here and I had to say good- bye to all of my friends and fam- ily and go to Fort Benning to start my Army career. It was a long four months but I will never for- get my basic training experience. There were a lot of hard times,
there were some great times, times I wanted to quit, and times where it seemed like the four months would never end. My fi rst match as a mem-
ber of the Army Marksmanship Unit was in Fort Benning for the 2013 Spring Selection match. I trained so much in my fi rst week at the unit and couldn’t wait for my family to see me shoot in my black hat and Army vest. My fi rst round was a perfect 25/25. was on cloud nine. After that it
I
was a different story . . . but even though I didn’t shoot as well as I wanted to, I was still happy because I only had one week to train for the match and on top of that I haven’t even picked up my shotgun in four months.
My experience in the USAMU has been amazing. Not every- body gets to say they work with Olympians on a daily basis. I go to work and train all day to be- come a better shooter and work for my ultimate goal, to win an
USAMU Now Accepting Applications for Junior Rifl e Camp
The U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit is now accepting applications for the annual Advanced Junior Rifl e Camp. The camp will be held Aug. 4-8, 2014 at the USAMU’s Pool International Range Complex located on Fort Benning, Ga.
The USAMU Junior Rifl e Camp is an advanced rifl e camp open to juniors aged 14-18. The camp will be limited to 25 shooters, and acceptance will be based on previous matches shot. This camp is primarily a smallbore camp. The juniors will receive coaching from the world-class Soldier/Athletes of the Inter- national Rifl e Team, including Olympians, World and National champions.
The camp will consist of daily training, classes in the afternoon, and conclude with a match across the course with awards. Cost for the camp will be $50.00.
Since 1956, Soldiers from the USAMU have won 24 of the country’s Olympic medals, and 59 Soldiers from the Interna- tional Rifl e section have Olympic starts since its inception.
Anyone interested can download an application at
www.usamu. com, or get more information by calling SSG George Norton at (706) 545-9068, or email him at
george.k.norton.mil@
mail.mil.
March 2014 | USA Shooting News
39
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