thedrifter
05-19-05, 05:54 PM
A clean shot
Published Tue, May 17, 2005
By GEOFF ZIEZULEWICZ
The Beaufort Gazette
The instructors at Parris Island are used to schooling recruits in the countless number of disciplines it takes to become an effective Marine.
But earlier this month, some of the recruit depot's firearms instructors were able to school other Marines, when they swept a rifle and pistol competition at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, winning all five events and beating out teams representing other installations.
The win was great for instructor morale and a noteworthy feat, said Chief Warrant Officer Mario Heikell, who led the 11-member team and picked up the overall rifle and pistol award, the Lauchheimer Trophy.
Another Marine, Sgt. Jason Thompson, won gold in the rifle matches. Besides the team besting other Eastern Division competitors, it won over all other Marines in the categories of the rifle and pistol team match, as well the combat infantry trophy team match.
"We did what's called a clean sweep," Heikell said proudly of his crew.
To get to the Marine Corps championships earlier this month, the Parris Island team first had to defeat eight other teams from the Eastern Division of Marine Corps installations.
Intramural competitions were first held at Parris Island to get the team together, Heikell said, with M-16 rifles and .45 caliber pistols as the weapons of choice.
At the final championships, the team represented the entire Eastern Division and faced off against the best from the Western Division, Heikell said.
The competitions involved shooting rifles and pistols from varying distances and situations, he said. Besides the 10 firing members, there also was an armorer who kept all the ordnance in working order.
The turnout for the competition was smaller this year than in others because of the number of Marines deployed overseas, Heikell said.
The final competition lasted three weeks, he said, and the team aspect became more important than ever.
"The difficulty with shooting the matches was minimizing the mistakes during team matches," he said, with the matter-of-fact technical speech of a Marine. "With many different teams competing, if you make a mistake, they easily capitalize on it."
All military jargon aside, the pride is emanating out of Parris Island for what its team has done.
"This is a very significant success and a testament to the professional abilities of those who teach, train, mentor and lead our new recruits," Brig. Gen. Richard Tryon, commanding general of Parris Island, said in a statement last week.
Constant shooting
For the team, the training became especially intense when it advanced to the final championship matches, Heikell said.
The team started preparing late last year for the competition, and that was all it focused on, said Staff Sgt. Clinton Ticer, one of the team's members.
"We shot every day," he said, standing last week amid the trophies that the team had recently brought home. "This becomes your job. You completely stop your regular duties."
Old tendencies died hard when the training really got under way, Sgt. Todd Herman said.
"I had a bad habit of drinking a lot of Mountain Dew," Herman said. "But with the training, you cut that out, because that sugar is going to get into your site, and you don't want that."
Holding, aiming and firing such powerful weapons also take a physical toll, and the team's members would end up with sore arms, shoulders and hands.
"You're feeling pain by the end of the day," Herman said. "It takes a lot."
Standing among the spoils of their competition sweep, different-size trophies and plaques whose lineage of which it was now a part, the Parris Island team was modest in its accomplishments.
Heikell said he was satisfied to teach his teammates so that they could give him a challenge.
The other team members said they were happy for the rewards, but still enjoyed teaching green recruits more.
"The more we learn, the more we can teach," Sgt. Joshua Wilson said.
"It's a good feeling to compete," Herman said. "It's a better feeling to pass those skill on to other recruits."
Contact Geoff Ziezulewicz at 986-5539 or geoffz@beaufortgazette.com.
http://beaufortgazette.com/ips_rich_content/photos-l/LFS-Parris-Is-RiflePistol-t.jpg
Bob Sofaly/Gazette
The Marine Corps Parris Island Rifle and Pistol Team members are from left, front row: Cpl. Matthew Burges, Sgt. Paul Minnix and Sgt. Justin Davis. Middle row are CWO II Mario Heikell, Sgt. Leman Roberts, Sgt. Joshua Wilson, Sgt. Todd Herman and Capt. Rozanne Banicki. Back row are Sgt. Adam Haie and Staff Sgt. Clinton.
The Drifter's Wife
Ellie
Published Tue, May 17, 2005
By GEOFF ZIEZULEWICZ
The Beaufort Gazette
The instructors at Parris Island are used to schooling recruits in the countless number of disciplines it takes to become an effective Marine.
But earlier this month, some of the recruit depot's firearms instructors were able to school other Marines, when they swept a rifle and pistol competition at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, winning all five events and beating out teams representing other installations.
The win was great for instructor morale and a noteworthy feat, said Chief Warrant Officer Mario Heikell, who led the 11-member team and picked up the overall rifle and pistol award, the Lauchheimer Trophy.
Another Marine, Sgt. Jason Thompson, won gold in the rifle matches. Besides the team besting other Eastern Division competitors, it won over all other Marines in the categories of the rifle and pistol team match, as well the combat infantry trophy team match.
"We did what's called a clean sweep," Heikell said proudly of his crew.
To get to the Marine Corps championships earlier this month, the Parris Island team first had to defeat eight other teams from the Eastern Division of Marine Corps installations.
Intramural competitions were first held at Parris Island to get the team together, Heikell said, with M-16 rifles and .45 caliber pistols as the weapons of choice.
At the final championships, the team represented the entire Eastern Division and faced off against the best from the Western Division, Heikell said.
The competitions involved shooting rifles and pistols from varying distances and situations, he said. Besides the 10 firing members, there also was an armorer who kept all the ordnance in working order.
The turnout for the competition was smaller this year than in others because of the number of Marines deployed overseas, Heikell said.
The final competition lasted three weeks, he said, and the team aspect became more important than ever.
"The difficulty with shooting the matches was minimizing the mistakes during team matches," he said, with the matter-of-fact technical speech of a Marine. "With many different teams competing, if you make a mistake, they easily capitalize on it."
All military jargon aside, the pride is emanating out of Parris Island for what its team has done.
"This is a very significant success and a testament to the professional abilities of those who teach, train, mentor and lead our new recruits," Brig. Gen. Richard Tryon, commanding general of Parris Island, said in a statement last week.
Constant shooting
For the team, the training became especially intense when it advanced to the final championship matches, Heikell said.
The team started preparing late last year for the competition, and that was all it focused on, said Staff Sgt. Clinton Ticer, one of the team's members.
"We shot every day," he said, standing last week amid the trophies that the team had recently brought home. "This becomes your job. You completely stop your regular duties."
Old tendencies died hard when the training really got under way, Sgt. Todd Herman said.
"I had a bad habit of drinking a lot of Mountain Dew," Herman said. "But with the training, you cut that out, because that sugar is going to get into your site, and you don't want that."
Holding, aiming and firing such powerful weapons also take a physical toll, and the team's members would end up with sore arms, shoulders and hands.
"You're feeling pain by the end of the day," Herman said. "It takes a lot."
Standing among the spoils of their competition sweep, different-size trophies and plaques whose lineage of which it was now a part, the Parris Island team was modest in its accomplishments.
Heikell said he was satisfied to teach his teammates so that they could give him a challenge.
The other team members said they were happy for the rewards, but still enjoyed teaching green recruits more.
"The more we learn, the more we can teach," Sgt. Joshua Wilson said.
"It's a good feeling to compete," Herman said. "It's a better feeling to pass those skill on to other recruits."
Contact Geoff Ziezulewicz at 986-5539 or geoffz@beaufortgazette.com.
http://beaufortgazette.com/ips_rich_content/photos-l/LFS-Parris-Is-RiflePistol-t.jpg
Bob Sofaly/Gazette
The Marine Corps Parris Island Rifle and Pistol Team members are from left, front row: Cpl. Matthew Burges, Sgt. Paul Minnix and Sgt. Justin Davis. Middle row are CWO II Mario Heikell, Sgt. Leman Roberts, Sgt. Joshua Wilson, Sgt. Todd Herman and Capt. Rozanne Banicki. Back row are Sgt. Adam Haie and Staff Sgt. Clinton.
The Drifter's Wife
Ellie