AUGUSTA, Maine — More than 40 Maine service members spent the weekend of May 16 at Gardiner Training Area displaying their expertise with military weapons.
They were all trying to earn their way on to the Maine National Guard Marksmanship Team, but one local soldier- Kyle Bartman of Merill, son of Cindy and Ralph Bartman, finished the competition in the top three.
At the end of the two-day match, all of the points are added up, and winners are determined based on the highest scores.
Every event is scored as a separate event, with winners for all six.
The overall winners of both days, and all six events were Bartman (Maine Army National Guard), Lt. Scott McCann (U.S. Coast Guard) and Sgt. Max Nickerson (Maine Army National Guard).
The teams have yet to be finalized, but the next match will be held towards the end of August at Fort Devens, Mass.
The competitors represented the top shooters from more than 15 different Army National Guard companies, the Air National Guard, Army Reserve and Coast Guard.
During the event the service members competed in a total of six events, three with a rifle and three with a pistol. The event lets shooters see where they rank against others in the state, gain exposure to advanced marksmanship techniques, and the potential to represent the state in future events.
Sgt. 1st Class Joshua Holmes, who has been the state marksmanship coordinator for the past 12 years, said that the national event has been taking place for 44 years, and that the state programs have been in place nearly as long, if not longer, than the national competition.
Last year the team the regional competition was held in Jericho, Vermont. Maine soldiers represented well, taking at least a top five position in four of six categories. Staff Sgt. Bartman placed second out of 108 competitors for overall best score.
This training goes above and beyond the typical basic rifle marksmanship qualifications that National Guardsmen go through. Each day is broken into three parts. The first day focuses on combat rifle qualifications, and the second day focuses on combat pistol skills. For each weapon, they are tested in four different positions — standing, kneeling, sitting and prone. They have a certain amount of rounds to shoot within a predetermined time, often known as speed shooting.
For example, one of the last tables on the pistol range requires them to fire 10 rounds in 15 seconds, including one magazine change during that time. Competitors are scored based on their accuracy and aim.
