Green named MMA 2013 Soldier of the Year

By Sgt. 1st Class Raymond Piper

USAMU PAO

FORT BENNING, Ga. –  The Military Marksmanship Association named Staff Sgt. Brandon Green their 2013 Soldier of the Year during the association’s annual meeting Feb. 7 at the Pool International Shooting Complex.

“I’m very proud to be a member of this unit … and proud to be the Soldier of the Year,” said Green, a member of the Service Rifle Section. “I really appreciate this opportunity … to train and work here.”

Green, a native of Covington, La., won the National Rifle Association’s 2013 National Highpower Rifle Championships at Camp Perry, Ohio. It was his first national championship after several second and third place finishes throughout his career. Winning there is winning against the best in the country, said (Ret.) Col. Robert I. Hoidahl, Jr.

Green also won the 2013 Interservice Individual Championship for the fourth time and was a member of the team that swept all team matches on their way to the overall team title. He aided his team to shatter records and gain victories in team matches at Camp Perry and during the Interservice Team Championships.

The MMA supports the goals and objectives of the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit and provides a link to the history of the unit while hosting ceremonies and social events. The organization has more than 500 members, made up mostly of USAMU alum.

As it is for most years, Hoidahl, former USAMU commander and president of the MMA, said that it was extremely hard picking a winner among the finalists for the award.

The MMA 2013 Soldier of the Year nominees were: Staff Sgt. Patrick Franks, Cross Functional Team-Pistol; Staff Sgt. Daniel Horner, Action Shooting Section; Staff Sgt. Michael McPhail, International Rifle Section; Spc. Reuben Anderson, Custom Firearm Shop; Staff Sgt. Glenn Eller, Shotgun Team member; Sgt. John Joss, Paralympics Team member, and Sgt. Curtis Yetman, Instructor Training Group.

The members of the unit are extremely competitive, Green said.

“You have all of these outstanding shooters and anytime they pick up anything it becomes a competition,” he continued.  “Whether we’re training on a different range or a different discipline, it’s that world-level competition that drives us to be as good as we are.”

USAMU is part of the U.S. Army Accessions Brigade, Army Marketing and Research Group and is tasked with enhancing the Army’s recruiting effort, raising the standard of Army marksmanship and furthering small arms research and development to enhance the Army’s overall combat readiness.