PRT may not be the most important thing we do

SPORTS
SPORTS
FORT BLISS BUGLE • July 3, 2014 • 15B
PRT may not be the most important thing we do each
>> day, but it’s the most important thing we do every day.
Sports briefs
Commander’s Cup Golf:
Commander’s Cup Golf is July 11-13 at the
Underwood Golf Complex. Start time
is 1 p.m., Friday, and 8 a.m., Saturday
and Sunday.
>>
Commander’s Cup Kickball: Com-
mander’s Cup Kickball is July 19 at
Omar Bradley Complex. Games begin
at 9 a.m.
Team Aquathlon: The Team
Aquathlon is July 25 at the Aquatics
Training Center, start time is 6:30 a.m.
Chivas de Guadalajara soccer:
The Chivas Guadalajara 9th annual
U.S. summer tour heads to El Paso to
take on Cruzeiro E.C. at 8 p.m., Sunday, at UTEP’s Sun Bowl Stadium. The
Rebaño Sagrado will open against
Brazilian powerhouse Cruzeiro Esporte Clube. Tickets: $20-$100 800745-3000
Michael Molinaro / Army Marksmanship Unit
Staff Sgt. Patrick Franks, Army Marksmanship Unit, competes during the service pistol match at the 55th Interservice Pistol Championships. Franks claimed the individual championship, his first title after coming in second the last two years. He was also a key cog for the USAMU Blue team, which gave the Army its ninth consecutive team championship. All the
services took part in the military’s annual gathering of pistol shooters at the USAMU’s Phillips Range, Fort Benning, Georgia, June 15 through 20.
Shooting to win!
Army sweeps 55th Interservice Pistol Championships
By Michael Molinaro
U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit
FORT BENNING, Ga. – Soldiers from the
U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit gave the Army
both the individual and team championships
at the 55th Interservice Pistol Championships,
held here, June 15 through 20.
The U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit, or USAMU, Blue won the overall team championship
for the ninth consecutive year, while Staff Sgt.
Patrick Franks claimed his first overall individual championship.
“One of the reasons why we’ve been so successful is our ability to have the discipline to
train wisely,” said Franks. “We really take advantage of the experience that other people
have on the team to learn from. Sometimes our
military coach sees things that we don’t see ourselves, or the other shooters give us insight that
help us to be better.”
The individual match came down to the final
day, with Franks edging out Marine Corps Staff
Sgt. Jonathan Shue by one point and USAMU
teammate Sgt. 1st Class Michael Gasser by
three points.
“I knew it was going to be a tight match and it
definitely came down to the wire,” Franks said.
“One of the best things about being in this unit
is the high level of competitions that we shoot
in. We are able to take the stress that goes with
this kind of competition and use it as a positive.”
Besides having the support of the USAMU,
Franks also shot alongside his brother Spc. Ryan
Franks, a Soldier assigned to the 82nd Airborne
Division, who competed in his first Interservice
championship. Patrick Franks said having his
brother around was not only good exposure for
his brother to such a highly-competitive environment, but it made him better prepared for the
match.
“I was really focused on training him the last
two weeks and in turn that helped me become a
better shooter as well,” Patrick Franks said.
Besides the Army and Army Reserve shooters, competitors from the Marine Corps, the Air
Force, the Navy, and the National Guard participated in the annual competition. Competitors
shot matches with .22-caliber, .45-cal., center
fire and service pistols, ensuring proficiency in
a broad array of pistols and enabling the competition to crown the best of the best.
“What I love most about this event is I get to
draw from the talent and resources of our entire
military,” said Lt. Col. Don King Jr., USAMU
School, sports physicals: School
and sport physical appointments are
available at Mendoza Soldier Family Care Center, Bldg. 11335 on SSG
Sims St., Tuesdays-Thursdays (all day)
from Tuesday through Aug. 28. Soldier
Family Medical Clinic, Bldg. 2496
on Ricker Rd., will have appointments
available Tuesday-Friday afternoons
from Tuesday through Aug. 28. Rio
Bravo Community Based Medical
Home, 3rd floor, 10460 Vista Del Sol,
will have appointments Tuesday -Thursday afternoons from July 15-Aug. 14.
Parents are reminded to bring their children’s immunization record and their
respective Child Youth Services/school
district physical forms to the appointment. For appointments at Mendoza
SFCC, SFMC, and Rio Bravo patients
should schedule appointments at their
assigned clinic. Appointments can be
scheduled by calling the WBAMC appointment line at 742-2273.
Saturday School Physical Marathon Events: William Beaumont
Army will hold Saturday School Physical Marathon events at the Mendoza
Soldier Family Care Center, Bldg.
11335 on SSG Sims St., July 19, July
26, Aug. 2, Aug. 9, and Aug. 16. Appointments are available from 8 a.m.-4
p.m. on these Saturdays. All patients
can be seen at Mendoza SFCC for
Saturday appointments. Schedule an
appointment by calling the WBAMC
appointment line at 742-2273. Parents
are reminded to bring their children’s
immunization record and their respective Child Youth Services/school district physical forms to the appointment.
Texas State Park Biking:
Saturday: 5 a.m., Peak Fitness Challenge – Ron Coleman Trail
Michael Molinaro / Army Marksmanship Unit
Service members from the Army, Marine Corps, Air Force, Navy, Army Reserve, Air Force Reserve, and National Guard
took part in the military’s annual gathering of competitive pistol shooters at the Army Marksmanship Unit’s Phillips
Range, at Fort Benning, Ga., June 15 through 20, at the 55th Interservice Pistol Championships.
commander. “While they are out there shooting,
competing and having fun, I am pulling in everything and seeing how I can use it to support
the warfighter. Everything they do is critical and
essential to my mission.”
The USAMU Blue team led the team match
from start to finish for its ninth consecutive
championship. Along with Franks, team members consisted of Gasser, Sgt. Greg Markowski,
and Staff Sgt. Jeffery Lewis. They were coached
by Staff Sgt. Adam Sokolowski.
“It definitely makes me proud,” Sokolowski
said. “We train very hard and put a lot of time
and effort into it. I know what all of these guys
are capable of shooting and it’s great to see
them accomplish what they try to do.”
Besides winning the overall title, Franks
also claimed the .22-cal championship and was
high shooter in the 2700. Shue won the center fire, service pistol and Director’s matches,
while Gasser won the .45-cal match. Sgt. 1st
Class Lawrence Carter won the Excellence-inCompetition match. USAMU Blue swept all of
the team matches to go along with their overall
championship. South Carolina Army National
Guard won the high post or station team championship.
Next up in the Interservice Match Series is
the Interservice Rifle Championship, scheduled
July 12: 8 a.m., Nature Walk Trail Hike
July 13: 7 a.m., Intermediate Mountain
Bike Ride
July 19: 7 a.m., Beginner’s Mountain
Bike Ride
July 20: 9 a.m., West Cottonwood
Springs Mine Tour
July 26: 8 a.m., Nature Walk Trail Hike
To learn more, call 566-6441.
ORYX Bike Tour:
So whether you
want to burn more than 800 calories,
have a guilt-free drink at the end of the
ride, meet skilled and green cyclists,
or simply become part of a pack, participate in the ORYX Bike Tour and begin marking the V on your calves, as
you pedal your way through the bike
routes. Wounded Warriors participate
free of charge. The cost for Military
ID card holders is $15; all others pay
$30. RaceAdventuresUnlimited.com
Jim Steers / Army Marksmanship Unit
Staff Sgt. Patrick Franks, Army Marksmanship Unit,
claimed his first individual championship at the 55th Interservice Pistol Championships, held June 15 through
20, at Fort Benning, Georgia. Franks was also a member
of the USAMU Blue team, which gave the Army its ninth
consecutive team championship at the annual event.
to be held Saturday through July 13, at Marine
Corps Base Quantico, Virginia.
Firecracker 5K:
The 5K run and 1
mile fun run/walk is Friday at the Burro
Street Bakery in Cloudcroft, N.M. Fun
walk begins at 8:30 a.m. with race at
9 a.m. Proceeds benefit Cloudcroft
Athletics. Registration: $30 in advance; $35 race day. raceadventuresunlimited.com