Staff Sgt. Benjamin Cleland was born in Swanton, Ohio on Jan. 30,1993. He enlisted into the Army as an Infantryman when he was 21 years old. He graduated OSUT at Fort Benning, GA.
Cleland was recruited for the USAMU Service Rifle Team as a shooter/instructor due to his previous shooting experience. His achievements include, winning four Interservice Rifle Championships (2018,2019,2020,2022), Interservice Long range championship, two NRA High-power National Championships, setting the National 60 shot standing record and the overall match record in the process. He was the first person to shoot a perfect score of 800 with a Service Rifle. Winner of the Daniel Boone Trophy, Pershing Trophy(x2), Rattlesnake trophy (x2), Oliver Hazard Perry Trophy (x2), the Porter Trophy, and the Mountain Man Trophy during the National Championships. He has been selected as a firing member of numerous winning team matches, including record setting Interservice Championship teams and National Trophy teams, Interservice Infantry Trophy teams, Match Rifle 1000 yard teams, Service Rifle 1000 Yard Teams, Enlisted Men’s trophy teams, and the Herrick Trophy team matches.
Cleland currently holds four Interservice Championship Individual records, six NRA National championship individual records, the Rattlesnake Trophy record for the National Team trophy match, the Oliver Hazard Perry match record, and was a firing member contributing to multiple team records. Cleland is also a dedicated marksmanship instructor helping to train over 7,000 soldiers and civilians in rifle marksmanship.
He has completed Infantry OSUT training (Fort Benning, GA 2014), Combat Life Saver (Fort Benning, GA 2014), Master Marksmanship Training Course (Fort Benning, GA 2015) Basic Leaders Course (Fort Benning, GA 2016) Advance Leaders Course (Fort Benning 2019).
His 2022 Accomplishments are:
Interservice Individual rifle champion, NRA National Rifle Champion, Reynolds Trophy (Highest individual in the Interservice 10-man Team Match), three NRA individual national records, Pershing trophy (highest individual in National Trophy Team match), Rattlesnake Trophy (highest soldier in National Trophy Team match), Hearst Trophy (highest 2-man National Team, fired with Sgt. 1st Class Brandon Green), High Hearst Doubles Individual Competitor, U.S. Forces Command Trophy, 25th Infantry Division Trophy, and the Mountain Man Trophy (highest individual competitor of CMP national match aggregate). He was also a firing member on the winning 10-man Interservice team, 6 Man Interservice team, 1,000-yard interservice team, Interservice Infantry Trophy team, National Championship 4-man match rifle team (record), National Mid-Range Championship team, National Long range match rifle championship team, NRA National long range Championships Palma team match, 6-man National Trophy Team, National Trophy Infantry Team, Hearst Doubles Team.