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On target: 100 shooters participate in annual contest

  • Published
  • By Mike W. Ray
  • Tinker Public Affairs
TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. --  The 15th annual Law Enforcement Pistol Competition held June 15 at Tinker Air Force Base attracted 100 contestants from federal, state and local agencies.

Teams represented the Oklahoma City and the Choctaw police departments, Tinker's 72nd Security Forces Squadron, the Federal Correctional Institute at El Reno, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Secret Service, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Internal Revenue Service, U.S. Postal inspectors, attorneys and investigators from the U.S. Attorney's Office, U.S. Treasury agents, and the Air Force Office of Special Investigations Detachment 114.

"This is a perfect opportunity for Tinker AFB to reconnect and maintain strong bonds with our civilian law enforcement counterparts, and to tighten the mesh of communication and information sharing that is so vital to keeping our community safe and our resources secure," said Dean Martinez, an investigator with the 72nd SFS.

The FBI was absent from this year's event because they were working a major case, OSI Maj. Jeff Johnson said.

The pistol match was held at the indoor shooting range behind the CATM Training Center, Bldg. 1050.

The Oklahoma City Police Department won the competition, the U.S. Marshals Service from Muskogee took second place, and the U.S. Marshals Service from Oklahoma City came in third. AFOSI Special Agent Bryan Trulson said the match was scored by the Air Force Audit Agency.

Sgt. Ted Beaver of the OKCPD said he and his teammates compete in four or five matches each year. Recently they attended a multi-state contest in Arkansas, and in September they'll head to Albuquerque, N.M., for the National Police Shooting Championships, he said.

The five-member teams competed in a variety of events, which included firing two magazines of three rounds each, at a stationary target seven yards away, in eight seconds; firing one magazine of six rounds in five seconds at seven yards; firing one magazine of six rounds in seven seconds at a target 15 yards away; one six-round magazine fired in seven seconds at a distance of 15 yards; two magazines of six rounds apiece, fired within 20 seconds at a target 15 yards away; three magazines of six rounds apiece; 12 rounds fired at the center mass of a target, in 25 seconds; firing 12 rounds in 30 seconds, six rounds with the shooter's strong hand and six with the weak hand; and speed shooting.

The contest rules required use of frangible bullets. The ammunition is environmentally "friendly," Major Johnson said, because it contains no lead and it disintegrates when it hits the firing range backstop.

At the lunch break, the contestants were given the option of touring a B-52 or a B-1.
The OSI pistol team was comprised of Major Johnson, commander of the OSI detachment at Tinker, along with Superintendent Manny Rojas, Reginald Robinson, Jason Austin and Chris Beyerl.

The 72nd SFS team was comprised of the squadron commander, Lt. Col. Shawn Covault, along with Tech. Sgt. Justin Walker, Staff Sgt. Caleena Campbell, Staff Sgt. Steven Schliep and Mr. Martinez.

Sergeant Campbell said she started shooting competitively about a year and a half ago, but until last Friday she hadn't competed in about six months. "I used to compete monthly, but I stopped shooting to focus more on school," she explained. She said she prefers automatic handguns "but revolvers will never fail you."

Mr. Martinez said he has participated in shooting contests for about eight years, "but unfortunately I get to compete only once or twice a year -- more for fun and honing my skills than for glory or prizes."