MARSEILLES, IL (08/12/2013)(readMedia)-- "Shooters, watch your lanes!" was a familiar line on the qualifying ranges at the 2013 Illinois Army National Guard Adjutant General's (TAG) Rifle and Pistol Match Aug. 8 through 11 at Marseilles Training Center in Marseilles, Ill. Roughly 120 Illinois Army National Guard Soldiers participated in the annual marksmanship event.
"The TAG Match is training through competition," said Chief Warrant Officer 2 Kyle Gleason of Lincoln, Ill., with the 3625th Surface Maintenance Company in North Riverside, Ill., and range master for the contest. "It's like a World Series or a Super Bowl, but you're out there training and competing with your peers and other units. You don't just pass or get a 'go,' there are different ratings."
Shooters are rated both as teams and individuals using the pistol and rifle. There is also a combined arms match, a new addition this year, in which Soldiers are tested on both weapon systems.
"It's short-ranged and very fast-paced," Gleason said. "The phrase we like to use is 'you can't miss fast enough.'"
All the matches are based off what the Illinois National Guard marksman teams have faced when competing out of state, which enables Soldiers to experience big interstate match concepts at the Illinois state level, Gleason said.
Chief Warrant Officer 2 Brandon Gibbs of Pleasant Plains, Ill., director of the competition, said future competitions will be even more complex and exciting.
"Next year we're going to try and add the shotgun for a three-gun event," said Gibbs, with Company B, 634th Brigade Support Battalion in Champaign, Ill. "But it's really hard to change it up and make it different when these are the stages of fire set from the Winston P. Wilson Championship, of which we base our TAG Match off."
Sgt. James Wayne of Springfield, Ill., with Joint Force Headquarters in Springfield, Ill., gained new knowledge during his first TAG match, despite having 20 years of shooting experience.
"It's been a pretty good event so far with the competition and camaraderie," said Wayne. "If you get a chance to do this, by all means do it. It's a great thing and even I'm learning new things."
Every unit in the Illinois Army National Guard had the opportunity to put a team together for the TAG Match. 1st Sgt. Keith Rodgers of Eldorado, Ill., with Company C, 33rd Brigade Special Troops Battalion in Carbondale, Ill., participated in the event with a group of Soldiers from his unit.
"It's a fun event," Rodgers said. "I've heard a lot about it over the years but have always been too busy to try to participate in it. I've got some motivated Soldiers in the unit that wanted to get a team together, so I was glad to get on board and give it a try."
Rodgers said he appreciated the chance to do more than he would at a yearly qualification range.
"It's been really enjoyable," he said. "There's a lot more going on here than the standard range. It's an opportunity to put a lot of rounds down range and shoot in different situations that you normally don't get to try."
Brig. Gen. Richard J. Hayes of Springfield, Ill., Assistant Adjutant General of the Illinois Army National Guard, spoke at the ceremony recognizing the winners completion of the match.
"Your experience with this helps you to be better," Hayes said. "Through that competition, it forces you to fine tune what you were doing, to achieve and hopefully be one of the winners today."
The top 20 individual shooters received the Governor's Twenty Tab, which they can wear on their uniforms. The top three teams and individuals of each event received a plaque to display their accomplishments.
1st Lt. Justin F. Conley of Downers Grove, Ill., with the 135th Chemical Company in Machesney Park, Ill., was the first place shooter overall.
"There are some really good shooters out here," Conley said. "You can't just walk in the door, no matter how good you are. To max all three categories like that is humbling to say the least."
Winners of the TAG Match may be selected to join the Illinois National Guard's Marksman Team. The team must select two new shooters to compete in regional and national events annually. Gleason said the TAG Match is an important tool in selecting the Guard team.
"There's a pyramid, and the bottom of the pyramid is the state level match," Gleason said. "We always have to recruit from within the state and that's part of what this is here for. We can see their scores and we can study them."
Gibbs said despite the number of people in the Illinois Army National Guard, few compete in the TAG match.
"I would like to add more competitors to next years TAG Match," Gibbs said. "It would be nice to see more than 121 shooters show up especially since with have more than 10,000 plus members in the Guard."
Results of the 2013 ILARNG TAG Rifle and Pistol Match
Overall Top Three Individuals
1. 1st. Lt. Justin F. Conley of Downers Grove, Ill.; 135th Chemical Company in Machesney Park, Ill.
2. Sgt. Raleigh G. Walker of Goreville, Ill.; Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 130th Infantry Regiment in Marion, Ill.
3. Spc. Scott A. Lange of Aurora, Ill.; Troop C, 2nd Squadron, 106th Cavalry Regiment in Aurora, Ill.
Overall Individual Rifle
1. 1st. Lt. Justin F. Conley of Downers Grove, Ill.; 135th Chemical Company in Machesney Park, Ill.
2. Sgt. Raleigh G. Walker of Goreville, Ill.; Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 130th Infantry Regiment in Marion, Ill.
3. Spc. Nathaniel Roux of Grand Detour, Ill.; Troop B, 2nd Squadron, 106th Cavalry Regiment in Dixon, Ill.
Overall Individual Pistol
1. 1st. Lt. Justin F. Conley of Downers Grove, Ill.; 135th Chemical Company in Machesney Park, Ill.
2. Sgt. Raleigh G. Walker of Goreville, Ill.; Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 130th Infantry Regiment in Marion, Ill.
3. Spc. Scott A. Lange of Aurora, Ill.; Troop C, 2nd Squadron, 106th Cavalry Regiment in Aurora, Ill.
Combined Arms
1. Staff Sgt. Joshua L. Slocum of Roscoe, Ill.; Company A, 1st Battalion, 178th Infantry Regiment in Bartonville, Ill.
2. Pfc. Connor W. Peters of Carbondale, Ill.; Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 130th Infantry Regiment in Marion, Ill.
3. Spc. Scott A. Lange of Aurora, Ill.; Troop C, 2nd Squadron, 106th Cavalry Regiment in Aurora, Ill.
Overall Top Three Teams
1. Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 2nd Squadron, 106th Cavalry Regiment in Kewanee, Ill.
2. 135th Chemical Company in Machesney Park, Ill.
3. Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 178th Infantry Regiment in Chicago
Top Pistol Team
Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 130th Infantry Regiment in Marion, Ill.
Top Rifle Team
Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 178th Infantry Regiment in Chicago
The Governor's Twenty
1. 1st. Lt. Justin F. Conley of Downers Grove, Ill.; 135th Chemical Company in Machesney Park, Ill.
2. Sgt. Raleigh G. Walker of Goreville, Ill.; Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 130th Infantry Regiment in Marion, Ill.
3. Spc. Scott A. Lange of Aurora, Ill.; Troop C, 2nd Squadron, 106th Cavalry Regiment in Aurora, Ill.
4. Spc. Nathaniel Roux of Grand Detour, Ill.; Troop B, 2nd Squadron, 106th Cavalry Regiment in Dixon, Ill.
5. Sgt. Justin W. Snyder of Gibson City, Ill.; Company B, 634th Brigade Support Battalion in Champaign, Ill.
6. Sgt. Terry R. Pody of Machesney Park, Ill.; 135th Chemical Company in Machesney Park, Ill.
7. Staff Sgt. Keith Ellsworth of Chatham, Ill.; Joint Force Headquarters in Springfield, Ill.
8. 1st Lt. Joshua Z. Olds of Danville, Ill.; 3rd Battalion, 129th Regional Training Institute in Springfield, Ill.
9. Sgt. 1st Class Jon Arneson of Polo, Ill.; Troop B, 2nd Squadron, 106th Cavalry Regiment in Dixon, Ill.
10. Sgt. Gary Kupiec of Forsyth, Ill.; Company B, 2nd Battalion, 130th Infantry Regiment in Effingham, Ill.
11. Sgt. 1st Class Richard T. Helkey of Mount Sterling, Ill.; 233rd Military Police Company in Springfield, Ill.
12. Sgt. Jerry D. Taylor of Monmouth, Ill.; Company A, 1st Battalion, 178th Infantry Regiment in Bartonville, Ill.
13. 2nd Lt. Brett Buscher of Glen Ellyn, Ill.; Company B, 634th Brigade Support Battalion in Champaign, Ill.
14. Sgt. Nolan C. Murray of Ottawa, Ill.; Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 178th Infantry Regiment in Chicago
15. Sgt. Trevor B. Chayer of Ladd, Ill.; Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 2nd Squadron, 106th Cavalry Regiment in Kewanee, Ill.
16. Sgt. 1st Class William N. Blackwell of Champaign, Ill.; Company B, 634th Brigade Support Battalion in Champaign, Ill.
17. 2nd Lt. William B. Leak of Normal, Ill.; Troop A, 2nd Squadron, 106th Cavalry Regiment of Pontiac, Ill.
18. Sgt. William A. Rylko of Rockford, Ill.; Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 178th Infantry Regiment in Chicago
19. Spc. Colin M. Kehoe of Aurora, Ill.; Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 33rd Brigade Special Troops Battalion in Machesney Park, Ill.
20. Spc. Robert W Siempelkamp of Palmer, Ill.; 233rd Military Police Company in Springfield, Ill.
