72nd SFS sergeant shoots his way to the top at national pistol competition Published Oct. 17, 2008 By Lt. Col. Lisette Childers 72nd Security Forces Squadron TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla., -- A lifetime of dedication paid off for Staff Sgt. Michael Henderson of the 72nd Security Forces Squadron here, who recently competed at the 2008 National Police Shooting Championships in Albuquerque, N.M., where he shot his way to the top slot in 18 categories. The matches, conducted Sept. 21-25, by the National Rifle Association and the Albuquerque Police Department, attract top shooters from all over the United States and many foreign countries. Sergeant Henderson competed in the military police category and won awards in every match. He also received awards in the aggregate matches for combined scores and was first-place overall in the individual championship and the service-pistol championship in the military police category. He brought home a total of 18 first-place awards. For Sergeant Henderson, this event was a culmination of years of shooting. "I started shooting when I was six- years-old, firing a revolver. Twenty-one years later I was using that same revolver in this competition," he said. The event also holds great significance for his family. "I was mentored by my father who taught me everything I know about pistol shooting," he said. "Growing up I was always excited when my Dad would come home from Nationals and see how he did and look at all the trophies he brought home with him. It was a proud moment for my father to see me carrying out awards to the car this year at Nationals." Since 1960, the NRA has offered a complete police-shooting program to police departments and law-enforcement agencies. The objective of this program is the training of police officers in the safe, efficient, and timely use of their firearms. To further assist law enforcement, the NRA created the Police Pistol Combat competitions. In 1989, the championships were re-titled the National Police Shooting Championships. The competition has evolved and grown over the years and expanded to include military police in 2006. This is the first year Air Force members have ever competed. As an Air Force Combat Arms Instructor, Sergeant Henderson says this competition betters him for the job. "I learned a lot from the other shooters. Much of the information learned can be utilized in my classes that I teach for the Air Force, such as trigger control, breathing, sight picture and follow-through. I also spoke with nine-time national champion Captain Philip Hemphill, of the Mississippi Highway Safety Patrol, who gave me some hints and tips," Sergeant Henderson said. The various events included firing with several different firearms: semi-automatic pistols, revolvers and shotguns. Shooters focus on various targets at varied distances. This is called a course of fire. The courses of fire were timed and involved both left- and right-hand shooting from kneeling, prone, sitting, and standing positions with and without a barricade. The targets were at distances from three to 50 yards. Prior to the Nationals, Sergeant Henderson's first match was the Iowa Police Combat League State Championship and Regional Match in July 2008. He took home the NRA's New Shooter Award and the experience there helped get him ready for the Nationals.