California and Arkansas National Guardsmen win 48th WPW Championship

190411-Z-VN142-1573 — The California Army National Guard team, the 48th Winston P. Wilson Championship Overall Aggregate Team Champions, receive a plaque from Gen. Joseph Lengyel during the awards ceremony April 11, 2019 at the Professional Education Center, Arkansas. The 48th Winston P. Wilson Championship is hosted annually by the National Guard Marksmanship Training Center, at the Robinson Maneuver Training Center, Arkansas. (U.S. Army National Guard Photo by Pfc. Emma Anderson; caption by Maj. Theresa Austin, National Guard Marksmanship Training Center)

~2019 Winston P. Wilson Rifle and Pistol Championship Results

by Pfc. Emma Anderson, National Guard Marksmanship Training Center

ROBINSON MANEUVER TRAINING CENTER, Arkansas. – Approximately 350 National Guardsmen, representing 46 states and U.S. Territories, participated in the 48th annual Winston P. Wilson Championship hosted by the National Guard Marksmanship Training Center at the Robinson Maneuver Training Center, Arkansas. from April 7-12, 2019. Eighty teams competed in 17 rifle and pistol matches.

The California Army National Guard team finished strong as the 48^th WPW All States Team Champions, Overall Rifle Team Champions and third place Overall Pistol Team Champions. Arkansas Army National Guard Soldier, Staff Sgt. Joseph Noe, took the tile of 48^th WPW Individual Overall Champion, Overall Pistol Champion and third place Overall Rifle Champion.

190411-Z-VN142-1450 — Staff Sgt. Joseph Noe with the Arkansas Army National Guard is the 48th Winston P. Wilson Championship Overall Aggregate Individual Champion. He receives a plaque from Gen. Joseph Lengyel during the awards ceremony April 11, 2019 at the Professional Education Center, Arkansas. The 48th Winston P. Wilson Championship is hosted annually by the National Guard Marksmanship Training Center, at the Robinson Maneuver Training Center, Arkansas. (U.S. Army National Guard Photo by Pfc. Emma Anderson; caption by Maj. Theresa Austin, National Guard Marksmanship Training Center)

The Chief’s 50 Badge is the highest National Guard marksmanship badge that may be earned. This year, Senior Airman Gavin Rook with North Dakota Air National Guard Airman is a first time recipient of the Chief’s 50 Badge, and was the only new recipient to earned it this year in both pistol and rifle.

Winston Peabody Wilson, for whom the championship is named, was a United States Air Force major general who served as chief of the National Guard Bureau. In 1950, Wilson was deputy to the Air National Guard where he emphasized the importance of readiness and training for units deploying during the Korean War. The Winston P. Wilson Championship was established in 1971 to promote growth and development of state level marksmanship. WPW increases readiness, overall lethality and battlefield survivability by having competitors challenge each other in the skill of marksmanship, and learn from each other’s expertise.

“Combat readiness begins with effective and lethal marksmanship at the individual Soldier level. There are three basic principles of effectively engaging and defeating the enemy: shoot, move and communicate. WPW is designed to challenge each participate and team in these principles. Those who can do it best are generally the winners.” Col. Marty Curtright, National Guard Training Center commander.

The competitions are conducted under the directive of General Joseph L. Lengyel, the chief of the National Guard Bureau, to improve overall readiness of the National Guard. Events included Anti-Body Armor, Falling Plates, Bianchi Battle and the Patton Match, just to name a few. During the WPW final ceremony on April 11, 2019, competitors had an opportunity to hear Lengyel speak on the importance of readiness and the value of lethality.

“Our experience as warriors is that it’s not just being a good marksman that keeps you alive. It’s knowing that person to your left and right is a good marksman, it’s the fact that you as a Soldier, you as an Airman, you as a warrior, uphold responsibility in your combat role. Said General Lengyel. “That’s why we, you, are the best at what you do, basic warfighting skills is what this is; it’s about being able to kill the enemy.”

General Joseph L. Lengyel addresses the Soldiers and Airmen during the 48th Winston P. Wilson Rifle and Pistol Championships awards ceremony April 11, 2019 at the Professional Education Center, North Little Rock, Arkansas. “Our experience as warriors is that it’s not just being a good marksman that keeps you alive. It’s knowing that person to your left and right is a good marksman, it’s the fact that you as a Soldier, you as an Airman, you as a warrior, uphold responsibility in your combat role,” said General Lengyel. “That’s why we, you, are the best at what you do, basic warfighting skills is what this is; it’s about being able to kill the enemy.”

General Lengyel has been the chief of the National Guard Bureau since 2016 and has been reinforcing the secretary of defense’s, General James Mattis, focus on the lethality of the United States military.

“Competitions like this are important because as we train for our war fighting skills, there are some things it takes to be prepared to win a war.” said General Lengyel. “That is our Soldiers, our Airmen, need to be good at basics and fundamentals of what we do. For Soldiers, for Airmen, for contact with the enemy, weapons and marksmanship are key and essential because it’s a basic war fighting skill.”

This year marked General Lengyel’s second appearance at the Winston. P Wilson Championship and it was clear that he approved of the competition.

190409-z-cg686-0008_47520487222_o — Smoke leaves the barrel of Sgt. 1st Class David Hastings rifle, after firing in a match during the 48th Winston P. Wilson Rifle and Pistol Championships April 9, 2019 at Robinson Maneuver Training Center, North Little Rock, Arkansas. Hastings was one of eight Wyoming Army National Guard Soldiers among more than 350 shooters from 46 states and U.S. territories competing in this event which is hosted annually by the National Guard Marksmanship Training Center, Arkansas. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. 1st Class Jimmy McGuire; caption by Maj. Theresa Austin, National Guard Marksmanship Training Center)

48th Winston P. Wilson Results

Overall State Champions
Recipient of the Overall State Champions Trophy: California: Sgt. First Class Jonathan D Garcia, Staff Sgt. Henry J Miller, Staff Sgt. Staff Sgt. Erik J Vargas, Sgt. Demetrios H Iannios
Second Place- Colorado: Sgt. First Class Christopher J Catlin, Staff Sgt. Micah N Fulmer, Spc. Joshua J Bandstra, Spc. Cole B Whittaker
Third Place- Georgia: Sgt. First Class Phillip L Keeter, Staff Sgt. Ryan S Machan, Staff Sgt. Troy J Mayfield, Sgt. Zach M Johnson

Individual Grand Aggregate Champion
Recipient of the Lloyd Nelson Trophy: Staff Sgt. Joseph T Noe (Arkansas)
Second Place- Staff Sgt. Justus Densmore (Texas)
Third Place- Staff Sgt. Brandon T Hornung (Illinois)

Combat Rifle Team Aggregate Champions
Recipients of the Combat Rifle Team Aggregate Trophy: California: Sgt. First Class Jonathan D Garcia, Staff Sgt. Henry J Miller, Staff Sgt. Staff Sgt. Erik J Vargas, Sgt. Demetrios H Iannios
Second Place- Arkansas: Master Sgt. Robbie W Brock, Master Sgt. Mitchell W Holland, Master Sgt. Matthew B Smith, Sgt. First Class Russell A Teague
Third Place- Missouri: First Sgt. Charles T Patterson, Sgt. Ross V Groenke, Sgt. Taylor J Bryan, Staff Sgt. Zachary A Walker

Combat Rifle Individual Aggregate Champion
Recipient of the Combat rifle Individual Aggregate Trophy: Staff Sgt. Brandon T Hornung (Illinois)
Second Place- Staff Sgt. Justus Densmore (Texas)
Third Place- Joseph T Noe (Arkansas)

Combat Pistol Team Aggregate Champions
Recipients of the Combat Pistol Team Aggregate Trophy: North Dakota: Senior Master Sgt. Wade T Swenson, Sgt. Tyler R Goldade, Sgt. Brendan L Dean, Senior Airman Gavin W Rook,
Second Place- South Carolina: Staff Sgt. Matt H David, Staff Sgt. Randall C Gardner, Staff Sgt. Patrick W Stuckey, Spc. Mack A Williams
Third Place- California: Sgt. First Class Jonathan D Garcia, Staff Sgt. Henry J Miller, Staff Sgt. Erik J Vargas, Sgt. Demetrios H Iannios

Combat Pistol Individual Aggregate Champion
Recipient of the Combat Pistol Individual Aggregate Trophy: Staff Sgt. Joseph T Noe (Arkansas)
Second Place- Staff Sgt. Justus Densmore (Texas)
Third Place- Staff Sgt. Patrick W Stuckey (South Carolina)