139th News

Maintainers take first place in marksmanship competition

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Bruce Jenkins
  • 139th Airlift Wing
NEOSHO, Mo. --  A team of four airmen from the 139th Maintenance Group took first place in the the annual Missouri National Guard's 2016 Adjutant General State Combat Match Rifle/Pistol Competition at Camp Crowder March 18 - 20, 2016.

The team includes Tech. Sgts. Nathan Nichols, Ben Ott, Rodd Boyer and Staff Sgt. John Baxter.

"I'm not the best shooter, but us four on the maintenance team shot above average, consistently," said Nichols who is a machinist and welder from the 139th Maintenance Group.

The team took first place in team rifles, team pistols, team combined weapons, and the General George Patton Match.

A second team of four airmen from the wing also participated in the event.That team included Capt. Jeremy Funk, Staff Sgt. Lance Rawlings, Senior Airman Derek Williams, and Master Sgt. Jason Neiswander.

"We were vastly outnumbered," said Neiswander, an avionics technician from the 139th Maintenance Group, whose team took 10th place in team combined weapons.

Of the 100 guardsmen who participated only eight of them were airmen. There were 27 teams in all.

The competition consisted of six shooting events. The open range fire, novice, multi-gun, combined pistol, combined rifle, and overall combined event.

Ott won first place in individual pistol, and Baxter came in first place among first time participants.

Below are individual rankings. Those who ranked in the top 20 receive recognition as the TAG Combat 20.

Tech. Sgt. Nathan Nichols (11th place overall)
Tech Sgt. Ben Ott (4th place overall)
Tech. Sgt. Rodd Boyer (5th place overall)
Staff Sgt. John Baxter (7th place overall) 
Capt. Jeremy Funk (94th place overall)
Staff Sgt. Lance Rawlings (64th place overall)
Senior Airman Derek Williams (36th place overall)
Master Sgt. Jason Neiswander (18th place overall)