88th Security Forces Defenders participate in shooting competition

Security Forces

WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio – Wright-Patterson Air Force Base hosted an Excellence in Competition shooting event at the indoor firing range May 11 in conjunction with the annual National Police Week activities.



Personnel from the 88th Security Forces Squadron gathered to test their skills with the M4 rifle and M18 pistol.

Pistol competitors had to fire a total of 30 rounds. The first 10 rounds were fired one-handed from the standing position in 2 minutes, 30 seconds. Next, 10 rounds were shot two-handed from the same position and time frame.

In the final string, participants fired five rounds over a 20-second span.

Airmen competing with the M4 rifle fired 60 rounds each. Shooters were tasked with adjusting their own sighting, allowing for 10 rounds not counted toward final scores.

In the rifle competition’s first phase, shooters fired 10 rounds from a standing, unsupported position in under 60 seconds. In the second phase, they were given 45 seconds to fire 10 shots from a kneeling position. The third phase allotted participants 45 seconds to get off 10 shots from a sitting position.

The contestants finished up by shooting 20 rounds in under 60 seconds from a prone position.

The winner of the M4 rifle competition was Tech. Sgt. Steven Fried, 88 SFS unit deployment manager.

“It felt great. I feel like it was a great time to do this, to use your fundamentals that you learn all the time,” he said after triumphing over 37 other shooters with a score of 436. “It was just nice to put all the training in competition mode since we normally don’t get to do that.”

Staff Sgt. Shane Ruark won the M18 pistol competition with a 267 total.

“It was a great time. I love shooting the pistol,” he said. “This was a great event for comradery.”

By Airman 1st Class Jack Gardner, 88th Air Base Wing Public Affairs / Published May 21, 2021

Security Forces
U.S. Air Force 88th Security Forces Squadron members who placed in the National Police Week shooting competition gather for a photo at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio on May 18, 2021. From the left are: Tech. Sgt. Steven Fried, Tech. Sgt. Justin VanNiman, Staff Sgt. Shane Ruark, Staff Sgt. Eric Whitt, 2nd Lt. Justin O’Brien and Master Sgt. Jesus Gonzalez. The shooting competition included the M-4 carbine and the M-18 pistol. (U.S. Air Force photo by Ty Greenlees.)
Security Forces
U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Paul Jezowski, 88th Security Forces Squadron combat arms instructor, fires an M-4 rifle May, 11, 2021, inthe squadron’s indoor shooting range on Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. Jezowki was taking part in the Police Week shooting competition where members for the security forces squadron competed for the best score firing both pistol and rifles. (U.S. Air Force photos by R.J. Oriez)
Security Forces
U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Dakota Johnson, 88th Security Forces Squadron, takes aim with his M-18 in the squadron’s indoors shooting range on Wright-Patterson Air ForceBase, Ohio, May 11, 2021, as a combat arms instructor looks on. The squadron held a shooting competition as part of its annual Police Week activities. (U.S. Air Force photo by R.J. Oriez)
About Defender Magazine 690 Articles
Jose J. Sanchez, Founder and Editor-in-Chief, Defender Magazine, is a U.S. Air Force veteran who served in the Presidential Honor Guard, Bolling AFB, Washington DC, the 416th Security Police Squadron, Griffiss AFB, NY, and the 89th Security Forces Squadron, Andrews AFB, MD