Media Release
23 May 2011

Army Shooters Aim High

The NZ Army Combat Shooting Team has performed with distinction at the 2011 Australian Army Skill at Arms Meeting (AASAM).

The Combat Shooting Team, made up of 15 soldiers and officers from across the NZ Army, including regular and territorial forces, took to the range between 9 – 17 May to pitch their skills against some of the world’s best.

Outperforming over 500 competitors, territorial soldier Private Mark Lupi gained two 1st places and one 3rd placing for rifle shooting whilst regular soldiers Private Brendon Fenton, of Burnham Military Camp, and Sapper Adrian Velich, of Linton Military Camp, combined to be placed 1st in the machine gun shoot.

The NZ Army team finished fourth overall, and the top three places at the end of the AASAM competition were taken by Malaysia, Australia and Indonesia respectively.

Participation in the competition provides the NZ Army’s Combat Shooting Team with the chance to compete against top international teams including teams from the US Marine Corps, Canada, Netherlands, French Forces New Caledonia, Singapore, Brunei, Papua New Guinea, and Thailand in a challenging range of shooting activities. Not only is this important to benchmark the effectiveness of Army’s training policies it allows team members to learn new shooting techniques to pass on to their fellow soldiers on return to their units.

“The Combat Shooting Team’s participation in these competitions not only allows us to showcases our skills, it also help enhance the whole of Army’s operational shooting training”, says Team Captain Major Pat Edmonds. “At the completion of AASAM, team members will be released back to their units and expected to impart what they learned throughout the competition to their own command and training personnel.”

ENDS

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