U.S. ARMY RECRUITING COMMAND > About USAREC > Marketing and Engagement Brigade > Army Marksmanship Unit > Army Marksmanship Team Members

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SERVICE RIFLE

The Service Rifle Team’s missions are to raise the standard of marksmanship and combat readiness throughout the Army and to enhance the Army’s recruiting effort. The team accomplishes the first element of its missions by conducting multiple Train the Trainer courses both at home and abroad.

The Service Rifle Team enhances the Army’s recruiting effort by interacting with the public at the Small Arms Firing School (SAFS). SAFS is conducted in conjunction with the National Matches. Begun in 1903, and mandated by US Code, SAFS is a program of instruction designed to instruct civilians in the use of the current Service Rifle (M16A2) and Service Pistol (M9). SAFS consists of a period of classroom instruction, by the instructors of the Service Rifle Team, followed by hands-on range firing and a modified EIC match.

The Service Rifle Team conducts its unique outreach mission through planning and conducting various rifle matches.

The team runs the Rifle phase of the US Army Small Arms Championships (also referred to as the “All Army”). Service Rifle members provide marksmanship instruction prior to firing, and carefully mentor the competitors throughout the matches. During these Championships, Soldiers compete with issue weapons and full combat equipment in a variety of events, emphasizing both precision marksmanship and physical fitness.

The team competes, primarily, with an accurized version of the M16A2 rifle at distances of 200 to 1000 yards. Select members of the team also compete with bolt-action rifles equipped with both telescopic and aperture sights from 800 to 1000 yards.

Ultimately, competing in and winning the Interservice and National Championship Matches, as well as numerous Local, State, and Regional Championships enables the Service Rifle Team to share the knowledge gained from these competitions with the broader Army in an effort to increase the Army’s combat readiness. These competitions also enable the team to connect America’s people with America’s Army in unique ways that may support the overall Army accessions mission and subsequently raise the Army’s combat readiness as well.