FORT BENNING, Ga. — The U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit is a unique Fort Benning battalion that is not widely known, not even by those in the military. Those familiar with the unit are typically aware of the unit’s historically strong presence in the shooting sports community.
Since 1956, the ‘Home of Champions’ has won hundreds of regional, national and international titles in various shooting disciplines and has even earned the United States 27 Olympic medals, with the most recent being a silver medal in women’s three-position rifle by Staff Sgt. Sagen Maddalena at the Paris Games in 2024.
As notable as these accomplishments are, it is only a portion of what the unit contributes to the Department of War. The USAMU impacts marksmanship training, smalls arms development and recruiting as well.
Since its inception, Soldiers in the USAMU have shared the knowledge gained from competition to servicemembers across the force. This is delivered in the form of small mobile training teams that work directly with Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, Airmen, Coast Guardsmen and Department of War personnel. Courses are tailored to unit needs and range from basic to advanced marksmanship skills. These nonstandard ranges cover anything small arms and can develop specific skills such as concealed carry maneuvers or engaging targets on the move or in the dark.
Soldiers trained by the USAMU have historically increased their average hit score and lethal hit score by more than 30 percent, according to unit reports. The effective training is measurable since all the provided courses have quantifiable entry and exit qualifications, which often drives the training plan, explained Sgt. 1st Class Christopher Workman, instructor/action shooting team chief.
“Instructors focus on marksmanship deficiencies illuminated from this qualification in order to increase Soldier proficiencies.”
Years of expertise allow the USAMU to provide an impressive return on investment for such a small unit, said Kyle Ward, executive officer.
“The USAMU conducts more than 80 of these tailorable, mobile training missions annually to deliver first-class, doctrinally aligned instruction to more than 4,000 servicemembers at the average cost of $100-200 per person trained, a feat that cannot be replicated elsewhere within the DOW or the private sector.”
One of the more notable training events is the USAMU’s marksmanship training support to West Point’s Cadet Summer Training program. This annual training, which is tasked by the Department of the Army Headquarters, impacts approximately 15,000 emerging Army leaders.
Each year, the Home of Champions host the U.S. Army Small Arms Championships and the Interservice Pistol Championships on their ranges at the Maneuver Center of Excellence. Both week-long training events build comradery and readiness through a variety of courses of fire.
In addition, USAMU Soldiers contribute to major Army exercises with partnering nations. In the last two years, USAMU instructors provided marksmanship lessons at Pacific Pathways and Eagle Partner in the Indo-Pacific and Euro-Africa theaters.
Most of this training is provided by the instructor training group, which is made up of noncommissioned officers with a wealth of knowledge in both combat and competition. However, Soldiers from the five competitive teams — service pistol, service rifle, action shooting, shotgun and international rifle — also assist in training regularly throughout the year.
Off the range and behind the scenes, the Home of Champions is just as active. The unit maintains continuous involvement in doctrinal updates, including rifle, pistol and sniper marksmanship publications.
Currently, the unit is working on incorporating quick response codes into the Army’s Integrated Weapons Training Strategy. This would allow Soldiers reading the doctrine to scan a code that links them to instructional video that enhances comprehension, making it the first time this technology has been used in doctrine.
“This aims to standardize doctrine and eliminate ambiguity, while saving time and resources,” said Ward.
Conant is an instructor with the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit at Fort Moore, Georgia. VIEW ORIGINAL
For decades, the USAMU Customs Firearms Shop has provided substantial impact in the realm of small arms innovations. Ballistic specialists and experienced gunsmiths regularly work with a comprehensive list of Department of War, joint and Army research centers, lending expertise to force modernization initiatives.
This accelerated capability of moving from concept to production has enabled Army-lethality projects pertaining to the adoption of the M17 Service Pistol, the M7 Next Generation Squad Weapon System, the M250 Squad Light Machine Gun and the Light-Weight Intermediate Caliber Carbine.
Impacts from the varying projects over the years are something not well known, stated Ward.
For example, the USAMU is credited with testing and down-select of Reduced Range Ammunition that allows emerging technologies with increased range to be fired on existing small arms ranges within their prescribed surface danger zones.
“This alone ultimately saved the Army billions of dollars in costly range construction,” said Ward.
Enabled by success in competitions, the USAMU contributes to Army recruiting efforts, along with sister Army units like the Golden Knights, the eSports Team, and the Outdoor Team. Whether it’s through Soldiers speaking at high schools, providing information at trade shows, or performing a marksmanship demonstration, the USAMU assists in raising the awareness of Army excellence and opportunities.
So while winning competitions is an integral part of the Home of Champions history, it is only a portion of the unit’s complete legacy.
To find out more about this unique unit, search #KnowTheUSAMU on social media or visit the USAMU website.
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