The Marine Corps Championship Awards Ceremony hosted by LtGen Benjamin T. Watson (CG Training & Education Command, Quantico) was held on 18 April and saw SSgt Payton Garcia awarded for his clean sweep of both the Rifle and the Pistol Matches, scoring perfect scores of 100% in each — the only competitor to do so, thereby making him the default recipient of the highly esteemed Lauchheimer Trophy.
The Rifle Match consisted of eight intermediate-range and long-range stages of fire during the day, and five stages conducted at night.
The Pistol Match consisted of six action pistol stages conducted during the day, and four action pistol stages conducted at night.
SSgt Payton Garcia was also the only competitor to make a clean sweep of the Multi-Gun Match (using the M16 and the M18) achieving 100% in a course of fire which requires competitors to move through eight shooting stages while engaging targets in a variety of different positions. In the Multi-Gun Match, targets consist of either paper targets or steel targets, and the targets cover a distance ranging from a few yards away to over 100 yards away. (Missed targets or hitting “no-shoot” targets all incur penalties.)
LtGen Benjamin T. Watson presented an M1 Garand rifle to SSgt Payton Garcia who had been awarded the Lauchheimer Trophy, and SSgt Payton Garcia (wishing to provide and signal an encouragement to all new competitors who may participate in the Marine Corps’ Competition-In-Arms Program) in turn presented his M1 Garand to the High Tyro, Sgt Kai Byrom.
MajGen Hartsell presented Sgt Kai Byrom with the “Hammer” Hartsell High Tyro Trophy which is awarded each year to the first-year competitor possessing the highest overall aggregate at the Marine Corps Championship.
MajGen Hartsell is himself Distinguished and a member of the Marine Distinguished Shooters Association.
Other members of the Marine DSA who were present included Marine DSA President Danny Burke, as well as Jake DeBerry and Ray Bailey. …Jake DeBerry and Ray Bailey both took advantage of the “hands-on” opportunities offered by WTBn CO Colonel Cuomo in the invitation which he extended earlier to all members of the Marine Distinguished Shooters Association.
LtGen Benjamin T. Watson, CG of Training & Education Command
*Col Scott Cuomo, CO WTBn Quantico
*LtGen Watson presents an M1 to SSgt Payton Garcia, Lauchheimer Trophy Winner
MajGen James S. Hartsell stands ready to award the High Tyro Trophy
*Sgt Kai Byrom, recipient of the MajGen “Hammer” Hartsell High Tyro Trophy
*SSgt Payton Garcia, MajGen James S. Hartsell, Sgt Kai Byrom, Col Scott Cuomo
Marine DSA members Jake DeBerry and Ray Bailey give the recently-developed courses of fire a go.
To see more photos (including Team Champions), click on the following link:
Marine Corps Championships Award Ceremony
*Pages from the Awards Pamphlet:
*”The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) visual information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement.”