thedrifter
07-28-05, 02:08 PM
Aviator breaks 2-year-old rifle record
MCB Camp Pendleton
Story by Lance Cpl. Alec Kleinsmith
MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. (July 28, 2005) -- Cpl. Drue Tyson Overby says he never fired a weapon before he entered the Marine Corps. Now, he may never meet a Marine who fires as well as he did on the last day of June.
Overby, 24, a UH-1N Huey crew chief with Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 367 here, squeezed off a record-breaking day when he scored 64 out of a possible 65 during annual rifle qualification June 30 at Wilcox Range.
Overby shattered the previous range record of 59, recorded Aug. 14, 2003, by Sgt. B.T. Jacobs.
“I’m surprised at how well I did, because I didn’t get a lot of sleep the night before, and I forgot to eat breakfast the morning of the shoot,” said Overby, from Moon Township, Penn.
Marines on the firing line can either be blessed with clear skies and zero wind or harassed by rain or a strong breeze. Overby faced nearly perfect conditions on his way to a nearly perfect score. He shot early before the wind woke up.
“Fortunately, I was on the first morning relay, which greatly benefited my final score,” he said.
Moreover, the weather cooperated throughout the week, allowing Overby to zero-in nicely in preparation for the big day.
“On the practice days before the final qualification, there wasn’t any breeze at all, and I was scoring in the high- 50s all week. But on qualification day, there was a slight breeze with some clouds in the sky,” Overby said.
Overby’s new score — a big improvement on his previous mark of 52 — will get him some pats on the back — but may not get him promoted. In fact, his cutting score will climb only 10 points, he said.
“Even though I have a first-class physical fitness test, I’m still about 60-80 points away from picking up sergeant,” said Overby.
Reactions from Overby’s unit have ranged from playful sarcasm to support and even disbelief.
“Everybody at the shop was extremely impressed and surprised by his performance,” said Sgt. Marcello J. Oliveri, a power plant mechanic with HMLA-367.
“Nobody thought that he had it in him to do as well as he did, but he’s an excellent Marine, so we’re all proud of him,” Oliveri said.
“This whole experience has been extremely overwhelming, and all of my co-workers have been very supportive,” Overby said.
Although Overby would seem to be an ideal candidate for a marksmanship instructor, he doesn’t plan on teaching any time soon.
“The instructors there were helpful, but I honestly developed my own habits and stuck with them during my time at the range, so I don’t think I would be a good instructor.
“But I have considered joining the base marksmanship team,” Overby said.
Ellie
MCB Camp Pendleton
Story by Lance Cpl. Alec Kleinsmith
MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. (July 28, 2005) -- Cpl. Drue Tyson Overby says he never fired a weapon before he entered the Marine Corps. Now, he may never meet a Marine who fires as well as he did on the last day of June.
Overby, 24, a UH-1N Huey crew chief with Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 367 here, squeezed off a record-breaking day when he scored 64 out of a possible 65 during annual rifle qualification June 30 at Wilcox Range.
Overby shattered the previous range record of 59, recorded Aug. 14, 2003, by Sgt. B.T. Jacobs.
“I’m surprised at how well I did, because I didn’t get a lot of sleep the night before, and I forgot to eat breakfast the morning of the shoot,” said Overby, from Moon Township, Penn.
Marines on the firing line can either be blessed with clear skies and zero wind or harassed by rain or a strong breeze. Overby faced nearly perfect conditions on his way to a nearly perfect score. He shot early before the wind woke up.
“Fortunately, I was on the first morning relay, which greatly benefited my final score,” he said.
Moreover, the weather cooperated throughout the week, allowing Overby to zero-in nicely in preparation for the big day.
“On the practice days before the final qualification, there wasn’t any breeze at all, and I was scoring in the high- 50s all week. But on qualification day, there was a slight breeze with some clouds in the sky,” Overby said.
Overby’s new score — a big improvement on his previous mark of 52 — will get him some pats on the back — but may not get him promoted. In fact, his cutting score will climb only 10 points, he said.
“Even though I have a first-class physical fitness test, I’m still about 60-80 points away from picking up sergeant,” said Overby.
Reactions from Overby’s unit have ranged from playful sarcasm to support and even disbelief.
“Everybody at the shop was extremely impressed and surprised by his performance,” said Sgt. Marcello J. Oliveri, a power plant mechanic with HMLA-367.
“Nobody thought that he had it in him to do as well as he did, but he’s an excellent Marine, so we’re all proud of him,” Oliveri said.
“This whole experience has been extremely overwhelming, and all of my co-workers have been very supportive,” Overby said.
Although Overby would seem to be an ideal candidate for a marksmanship instructor, he doesn’t plan on teaching any time soon.
“The instructors there were helpful, but I honestly developed my own habits and stuck with them during my time at the range, so I don’t think I would be a good instructor.
“But I have considered joining the base marksmanship team,” Overby said.
Ellie