FORT BLISS, Texas -- "Is there anyone down range, is there anyone down range? Firers, lock and load one 10 round magazine." Every Soldier is familiar with commands from the tower when they are qualifying with their individual weapon. Air rifle and air pistol is a new paradigm, but athletes at the U.S. Army Warrior Care and Transition Army Trials, hosted at Fort Bliss, Texas, have adapted just fine.
The air rifle and air pistol shooting event took place on April 3. Some may think a target is a target, but in this competition, pellets are shot at targets 10 meters away, and scoring is measured by decimals. Soldiers and veterans shoot with the precision of a surgeon in order to earn a place on Team Army.
There are a number of classifications for wounded, ill, and injured Soldiers and veterans to participate in. At this year's Army Trials, three classifications were used in Air Rifle shooting (Open, SH1, SH2) and two were used in Air Pistol (Open, SH1).
Open class is for those who may have TBI, PTSD, minimal balance issues. SH1 class is for those who have a loss of motor or sensory function in the lower extremities, single or bilateral amputations in lower extremities, or upper body impairment that affects their ability to load their equipment. SH2 is characterized by upper body impairments that cause a shooter to be unable to support the weight of an air rifle with their arms, single or bilateral upper extremity amputations, and partial or total loss of use of all limbs and torso, and usually involves both sensory and motor.
For many of the competitors this was their first time to compete in the shooting event, but being a rookie didn't stop them from reaching the medial podium.
Silver medalist for the Air Rifle SH2 category, Sgt.1st Class Terrance Young said,
"My thing is anything you envision will come to you. I envisioned myself on the podium, and it came true."
Integrating imagery is a mental performance skill these Soldier and veteran athletes learn from coaches who incorporate it into their training.
When asked if the training from last week was enough for Staff Sgt. Altermese Kendrick to win the silver medal in the Air Rifle SH1 class, she said, "It sure was."
Kendrick continued, "I trusted my training from the coaches. Another Soldier gave me training for breathing and I got some guidance from a few other people because this is my first time ever doing this. I didn't second guess it."
Also a first time competitor, Sgt. Harvey Boyd was surprised to find out that he won a bronze medal in the Pistol SH1 class, and a gold medal in the Air Rifle SH1 class.
When asked how he felt during the competition, Boyd said, "I felt good. It's like another chapter in my life is over. I'm injured, I'm not 100%, but I'm not going to let that stop me."
Boyd continued "I've been shooting all of my life, and I always wanted to compete in some type of competition, but I never had an opportunity to compete with anybody or anywhere. And this [Army Trials] offered me the opportunity, and hopefully it will open a whole bunch of doors. Hopefully this is the first page of a long story."
Boyd also added that the main thing that helped him was not giving up. "This afternoon during the competition with the pistol, I have sciatic nerve damage, and it was killing me. But I wasn't going to quit, and I'm glad I didn't because I don't think I'd be wearing one of these [Trials medals], if I quit."
A total of 15 competitors won medals at the shooting event.
In the Air Rifle Open class, Sgt. 1st Class Brian Terry won bronze, Sgt. Patrick Haney won silver and Master Sgt. Clifton Peele won the gold medal.
In the Air Rifle SH1 class, Spc. Maria Garcia won the bronze, Staff Sgt. Altermese Kendrick won silver and Sgt. Harvey Boyd won the gold medal.
In the Air Rifle SH2 class Sgt. 1st Class Heather Moran won bronze, Sgt. 1st Class Terrance Young won silver and Veteran David Snypes won the gold medal.
In the Pistol Open class, Capt. Nathan Schaffield won bronze, Master Sgt. Clifton Peele won silver and Sgt. 1st Class Brian Terry won the gold medal.
In the Pistol SH1 class, Sgt. Harvey Boyd won bronze, Staff Sgt. Michael Hemlen won silver and Spc. Rani Batrouni won the gold medal.
Social Sharing