These Crack Shot Soldiers Train the Military’s Best
These Crack Shot Soldiers Train the Military’s Best
Imagine spending all day, every day, practicing trick shots with a shotgun, taking out 10 moving targets with a pistol in six seconds flat, or perfecting your shot toward a target the size of a period.
Gun enthusiasts would call that a good day. Members of the Army Marksmanship Unit call it their job.
“Best of the Best”
Fewer than 100 soldiers, at the top of their marksmanship game, make up this elite unit. They are the best of the best, not just in the military, but throughout the competitive shooting world. These expert marksmen support readiness and recruiting, and train and compete year-round, including for the Olympics.
Training the Trainers
A lesser-known part of the AMU’s mission might be the most important — they train thousands of soldiers in basic and advanced marksmanship, as well as U.S. Military Academy instructors and Army Cadet Command ROTC instructors.
“Last year, we trained about 22,000 cadets from both programs,” said AMU Command Sgt. Maj. Jason Levy.
The unit’s soldiers really enjoy sharing their expertise.
“Sharing the knowledge is the most rewarding thing out of all of it,” said Army Sgt. 1st Class Brandon Green, who won the Civilian Marksmanship Program National Championship in 2018 and got a perfect score in the President’s 100 rifle match. “You can win all the trophies that you can go out there and compete for, but knowing that you’re sharing knowledge that could save someone’s life really, really makes it rewarding.”
“I will never turn down anybody that requests a clinic or needs help learning how to shoot,” said Army Sgt. 1st Class Adam Sokolowski, the first person to ever win three consecutive Bianchi Cup Opens — the National Rifle Association’s National Action Pistol Championship.
Global Experts
Another important AMU mission: Acting as subject matter experts in weapons development.
“There’s not a week that goes by where we don’t have an external agency asking for our opinion or to test ammunition and weapons. Every organization at [the Defense Department] is coming here to ask questions,” Levy said.
They’re experts whose knowledge directly feeds into the operating force.
“From this organization, they developed the M21 and M24 sniper rifles, all the way up to the latest Army ammunition that they’ve chosen,” said the unit’s commander, Army Lt. Col. H.T. Lawrence, who admitted that before he joined the unit, he didn’t realize its significance. “All those [tests] and evaluations — all those items come through the AMU.”
“If a competitive shooter sees that there’s a device or an item that could make him more lethal in competition and on the battlefield, we can design it here, we can produce it, test it and evaluate it, and then turn it over to the Army for full-scale production,” Levy said.
How do they advertise their skills and innovations to the American public? Through competition.
“We have the ability to connect America’s Army to America’s people,” Levy said. “When they see us at competitions, they know that we’re there to win.”
Customized Craft
The U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit Custom Firearms Shop produces top-quality, match-grade rifles, pistols and shotguns, as well as much of the ammunition for the Army Marksmanship Unit. The shop developed and tested the M-21 and M-24 Sniper Systems, the Mk-12 Special Purpose Rifle, the Squad Designated Marksman Rifles used by 3rd Infantry Division during OIF, and modified numerous weapons for special operations forces.
The shop currently accurizes the M-4A1, M-9, M-1911, M-17 and many other commercial firearms which are used by AMU shooters to compete in national and international competitions.
Video
Army Sgt. 1st Class Adam Sokolowski was assigned to the Army Marksmanship Unit right out of basic training in 1999. Ever since, he’s been winning service pistol competitions and setting records, both individually and for the team. Most notably, Sokolowski won the 2018 Bianchi Cup Open championship, making him the first person to ever win three consecutive Bianchi Cups — a competition where there are three divisions, but you can only win one division per year.
Army Sgt. 1st Class Adam Sokolowski was assigned to the Army Marksmanship Unit right out of basic training in 1999. Ever since, he’s been winning service pistol competitions and setting records, both individually and for the team. Most notably, Sokolowski won the 2018 Bianchi Cup Open championship, making him the first person to ever win three consecutive Bianchi Cups — a competition where there are three divisions, but you can only win one division per year.
Video by Army Staff Sgt. Edwin Pierce, DOD
Army Sgt. 1st Class Brandon Green has been a member of the Army Marksmanship Unit since 2004 and is one of its most distinguished soldiers, having won several competitions over the years. Most recently, he won the 2018 Civilian Marksmanship Program National Championship and set a record for the Presidents 100 rifle match, where he got a perfect score.
Video by Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Ashley Guire