FORT BENNING, Ga. (Army News Service, Oct. 5, 2007) - Fourteen servicemembers from the U.S. Military Shooting Team will leave Monday for India where they will compete in the Conseil International du Sport Militaire. Team USA is expected to compete against hundreds of shooters from approximately 30 countries.

Ten shooters from the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit from Fort Benning, Ga., join an Army Reservist, a shooter from the Navy, one from the Navy Reserve and one Marine, to represent the United States at the 4th Military World Games in Hyderabad, India, Oct. 12 to 21. Team USA leaves Fort Benning Monday for India.

The CISM shooting championships consist of men's and women's rifle and pistol competitions. Rifle shooters compete with standard rifles at 300 meters in the prone, kneeling and standing positions in both rapid- and slow-fire matches. The pistol team will shoot center fire and military rapid fire championships.

Only the men's teams' scores count in the overall "Best Nation" awards, however; the women's teams only compete for their own individual and team awards.

Rifle Team members are: Staff Sgt. Armando R. Ayala, Sgt. Shane M. Barnhart, Sgt. Henry L. Gray and Spc. David R. Sprecher, Sgt. Kelly A. Dove and Spc. Nicole M. Cooper of the AMU, and Navy Ensign Sarah Bergman.

Pistol Team members are: Sgt. 1st Class Eric G. Daniels, Sgt. 1st Class Thomas A. Rose, Staff Sgt. Robert S. Park II and Pvt. 2 Brad A. Balsley of the AMU and Marine Corps Capt. Janine Mills, Staff Sgt. Elizabeth A. Callahan and Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Sandra Uptagrafft.

Joining the U.S. Shooting Team were Team Captain Michael Behnke, Rifle Coach Frank Briggs, Pistol Coach Ray Arredondo and Gunsmith Glenn Sulser, all of the AMU.

Other countries expected to participate include Argentina, Belarus, Botswana, Canada, Czech Republic, Cyprus, Finland, Hungary, Ireland, Jamaica, Kenya, Latvia, Luxembourg, Nambia, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Uzbekistan and Zambia.

Formed in 1956 by President Dwight D. Eisenhower to raise the standards of marksmanship throughout the U.S. Army, the AMU is assigned to the Accessions Support Brigade of the U.S. Army Accessions Command. The marksmanship unit trains its Soldiers to win competitions and enhances combat readiness through train-the-trainer clinics, research and development. For more information on the AMU, visit
www.usamu.com.

(Paula J. Randall works for the AMU, Accessions Support Brigade Public Affairs Office.)