Spartan shines at the U.S. Army Long Range Championships

by Sgt. Brian Ragin
4/25th IBCT Public Affairs

11/26/2014 - JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska -- Army Staff Sgt. Matthew Thompson, a native of Anchorage and infantryman with the 1st Battalion (Airborne), 501st Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, competed at the 2014 U.S. Army Long Range Championships at Fort Benning, Georgia, placing third overall.

The championship is an advanced-combat live-fire training event, which is hosted by the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit. The championship requires Soldiers to fire at ranges of 800, 900 and 1,000 yards. Soldiers either fire the M24 Sniper Rifle .308 or the XM 2010 Sniper Rifle .300 Win-Mag. The competition consisted of individual and two-man team events.

Thompson, an accomplished shooter, was the only competitor in the top 10 who used the .300 Win-Mag. Adding to Thompson's challenges at the competition, the weapon he used was loaned to him from a unit at Fort Benning, and because he was a last-minute addition to the team, he had little time to prepare.

Thompson and several other Spartans from the 4/25th IBCT were among more than 50 contestants who traveled from across the U.S. and were representing units from the National Guard, the Army Reserve, and the active-duty Army.

Thompson said he looks forward to more competitions like this in the future, so arctic paratroopers can demonstrate their abilities in an Army-wide competition.