Re: International Sniper Comp. Ft. Benning
FORT BENNING, Ga. (Army News Service, Oct. 19, 2010) -- A Soldier team from the Army Special Operations Command took top honors at the 10th Annual International Sniper Competition here.
The competition, which wrapped up Oct. 15, included 32 sniper teams, each gunning for the title of best sniper team in the world.
The winning team included Sgt. 1st Class Edward Hoymeyer and Sgt. 1st Class Chance Giannelli, from the Special Forces Sniper School at Fort Bragg, N.C. The two scored 1,258 points out of a possible 1,507 during the competition. They were also the only team to receive a perfect score on the final event of the competition.
"It was an awesome event," Giannelli said. "It was the epitome of sniper competition. Every different country sends their best. It felt great to actually win the event."
"It felt pretty good, it's really nice to go and test yourself," Homeyer said. "It's a testament to our training and the school. On that day, we were the best, but competition was close. We could go out and do it again and someone else could win."
During the competition, the two-man teams competed in a total of 14 events. Those events included, among other things, a sniper stalk, urban shooting and orienteering exercises, firing under stressful conditions and other tests of marksmanship and sniper skills.
In keeping with last year's competition, the teams were divided into two categories, service class and open class. The service class competitors fired 7.62 mm or smaller rounds as a primary or secondary weapon system. The open class was for teams firing rounds in a caliber larger than 7.62 mm.
The 72-hour competition ran virtually non-stop, with only two four-hour rest breaks during its three days, said Lt. Col. J.C. Miller, commander of 2nd Battalion, 29th Infantry Regiment, 197th Infantry Brigade, whose C Company conducts sniper school training.
Six of the events were held at night, and this year's competition included a greater emphasis on real-world scenarios and limited sleep, said event planners.
The added stress and fatigue factors added a new level to the competition not seen in past years, said Master Sgt. Michael Snyder, noncommissioned officer in charge of the sniper school.
"We wanted to simulate what guys are doing in combat. They are going to be tired, getting little sleep and still be expected to do one mission after another," he said. "We are getting more combat-focused."
During the 2009 competition, competitors averaged eight hours of sleep each day of competition, Snyder said. This year, the average was 50 percent less than that, and the schedule was more sporadic -- with many teams catching some shut-eye in the holding areas in between the events.
Some of the more challenging events in the competition -- as cited by several competitors -- included such challenges as shooting on non-illuminated targets at night and the stress shoot, which included a timed run down an 800-meter lane, stopping at various points to fire on targets, collect data and evacuate casualties.
A new event in this year's event was the "loop hole." That event tested the snipers ability to shoot from a third story rafter, through a three-inch hole and strike a target 150 meters away.
"In competition, you will go at a faster pace than you would in combat," said competitor Staff Sgt. Kyle Maples, a five-time combat veteran. "In some situations, you take enemy fire, you are going to get the adrenaline up, you are going to be breathing heavy. So an event like (the stress shoot) is pretty close to simulating what it would actually be like in combat."
Maples competed service class in the competition for the 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division. Maples and his partner, Staff Sgt. Brent Davis, were the only pair to score 35 out of 35 points on the night range estimation event.
"It's more realistic," said Maples, of the combat scenario related events. "A majority of our operations in theater are done at night. Everybody has the saying 'we own the night,' and it's true. We have night-vision capability and the enemy doesn't right now."
U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer 2nd Class Joshua J. Harris, also a participant, said he was glad to have the opportunity to learn from the competition.
"In every course of fire here, our training and tactics were tested and our weaknesses were exposed," Harris said. "This showed me where I need to work. In observing and talking to the other teams, like the Irish Defense Forces, Special Forces, and others, I learned a few new ideas and little tricks."
Pasadena Police Officer and former Marine, Brandon R. Largent, also felt this competition helped him identify places he could improve.
"This competition has highlighted areas of weakness that I have never fully realized," he said.
Participants in the competition came from the Army, Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard, including teams from U.S. Army Special Operations Command, 10th Mountain Division, 75th Ranger Regiment, Army National Guard and the 1st Marine Division. Additionally, several civilian law enforcement teams participated as well as several international teams.
(S.L. Standifird writes the Joint Hometown News Service. Kristin Molinaro writes for the Bayonet at Fort Benning, Ga.)
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The Service category champions (7.62mm) were armed with a 16-inch and an 18-inch Larue Objective Battle Rifle -- yes, both shooters were swinging gas-operated weapons. Winners:
http://www.fortbenningphotos.com/Competitions/International-Sniper
<span style="font-weight: bold">Special Forces Soldiers win international sniper competition</span>
By Reginald Rogers
<span style="font-style: italic">Paraglide</span>
For Sergeants 1st Class Chance Giannelli and Edward Homeyer, it was understood — teamwork was the key to being the best.
After the gun smoke had cleared, 72 hours and 14 events later, they were recognized as the world’s best sniper team.
Giannelli and Homeyer, both sniper school instructors assigned to the 1st Special Warfare Training Group here, outlasted other teams to earn first place overall and in the service category at the annual International Sniper Competition at Fort Benning, Ga.
The competition took place Oct. 11 through 14 and included 32, top-level sniper teams from around the world. Notable teams included, the U.S. Marine Corps Scout snipers, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, the 75th Ranger Regiment, the U.S. Coast Guard, the U.S. Air Force and the FBI, which was one of three law enforcement agencies.
“It was an awesome event,” said Giannelli, a Richmond, Maine native. “It was the epitome of sniper competition. Every different country sends their best. It felt great to actually win the event.”
He explained that the competition began at 10:30 p.m., Oct. 11 and ran continuously until 3 p.m., Oct. 14. The teams only received two, four-hour, breaks during the 72-hour event.
The competition included several challenging events, including a stress test that was designed to simulate what the team may face in combat.
The added stress and fatigue factors added a new level to the competition not seen in past years, explained Master Sgt. Michael Snyder, officer-in-charge of the U.S. Army Sniper School, which hosted the event.
“(In combat) they are going to be tired, getting little sleep and still be expected to do one mission after another,” he said. “We are getting more combat-focused.”
Giannelli explained that each team was required to fire at targets located at a distance of 600 and 1,000 meters, before gradually making their way back to the finishing point.
“We started at the 1,000-meter line and had 45 seconds to run to the 800-meter and fire, before going to the 700-meter mark,” he said. From the 700-meter mark, Giannelli explained that they were required to fire from a partner-assisted posture, which could mean using your partner’s back to steady the shot.
“After that, we had 45 seconds to get to the 600-meter line, while carrying a 200-pound casualty, only to stop and take a shot while kneeling,” he continued. “From there, we had to simulate carrying a 200-pound casualty on a litter to the 500-meter mark.”
Giannelli said that was one of the most challenging phases of the competition, but he admitted that it helps when you have a highly skilled partner.
“(Homeyer) is a well-rounded shooter,” he said. “I was glad to have him as a partner.”
Homeyer remained humble, despite his partner’s compliments.
“He’s a good man,” Homeyer said. “He gives me more credit than I deserve.”
He attributed their victory to the quality training they received weeks before the competition.
“Chance and I work well together and we went down and trained with Todd Hoddnett, who operates Accuracy 1st, down in Texas. We trained for about two weeks, two months ago and <span style="font-weight: bold">we were actually alternates in this event,</span> but we ended up competing,” explained Homeyer, who’s a native of George West, Texas.
He said that because they are both instructors, finding time to train was challenging.
<span style="font-weight: bold">“We had students, but we had to train when we could,” </span>he added.
Accuracy 1st is a premier, long-range shooting school for special operations and Marine Corps snipers and the training they received in Texas was critical to propelling them to the top of the competition, Homeyer pointed out.
“It was great training with Todd,” he said. “He actually trained the top three teams in the open and service class of the competition.”
One of the new events at the competition was called the Loop Hole. That event Oct. 12, tested the snipers ability to shoot from a third-story rafter, through a three-inch hole and strike a target 150 meters away.
As for being successful in the stress shoot event of the competition, Homeyer, the team’s primary shooter, gave credit to his spotter for his expertise.
“Chance was on the ball,” he said. “He got every item. He was able to retain enough information and answer the questions that put us over the top.”
Homeyer explained that one of the final events required both men to shoot at a target that measured 11.5 inches by 20.5 inches from a significant distance. He said they both hit their targets to move their team 66 points ahead of the next closest team.
“It felt pretty good, it’s really nice to go and test yourself,” Homeyer said. “It’s a testament to our training and the school. On that day, we were the best, but competition was close. We could go out and do it again and someone else could win.”
http://paraglideonline.net/102110_news1.html?ref=nf