WEBVTT 00:14.890 --> 00:16.890 Every year soldiers from across the 00:16.890 --> 00:19.112 army come to Fort Benning to test their 00:19.112 --> 00:21.290 marksmanship at the US Army Small Arms 00:21.290 --> 00:23.409 championships hosted by the Army 00:23.409 --> 00:25.329 marksmanship unit . The weeklong 00:25.329 --> 00:27.273 competition challenges soldiers to 00:27.273 --> 00:29.329 master rifle and pistol fundamentals 00:29.329 --> 00:32.209 under pressure . The , uh , Small Arms 00:32.209 --> 00:34.569 championship , it's a competition where 00:34.569 --> 00:37.169 we , uh , we focus on the fundamentals 00:37.169 --> 00:39.529 of both rifle and pistol , and it 00:39.529 --> 00:41.529 brings together all walks of life , 00:41.529 --> 00:43.418 National Guard , reservist , uh , 00:43.418 --> 00:45.585 active duty . Running a competition at 00:45.585 --> 00:47.751 this scale , it takes , uh , months of 00:47.751 --> 00:49.696 preparation to try to run the best 00:49.696 --> 00:52.330 match that we possibly can , uh , to 00:52.330 --> 00:54.219 give the competitors just a great 00:54.219 --> 00:56.386 experience that way they can go back , 00:56.386 --> 00:58.552 tell them that they had a great time , 00:58.552 --> 01:00.663 and then hopefully we get more , uh , 01:00.663 --> 01:02.552 you know , coming in the future . 01:03.200 --> 01:05.089 Competitors fire multiple rifle , 01:05.089 --> 01:07.311 pistol , and multi-gun matches designed 01:07.311 --> 01:09.533 to test accuracy , speed , and decision 01:09.533 --> 01:11.200 making on the clock , but the 01:11.200 --> 01:13.422 competition is about more than scores . 01:13.720 --> 01:15.942 For many soldiers , it's about bringing 01:15.942 --> 01:17.942 those skills back home . I think it 01:17.942 --> 01:20.769 gives you a better perspective on the 01:20.769 --> 01:22.658 different MOSs like it's not just 01:22.658 --> 01:24.436 infantry guys out here that are 01:24.436 --> 01:26.602 shooting high . You see , uh , guys in 01:26.602 --> 01:28.713 S shops . You see fuelers , tankers . 01:28.809 --> 01:31.031 Everybody out here , um , is focused on 01:31.031 --> 01:33.198 marksmanship , so you're able to learn 01:33.198 --> 01:35.198 from people outside of your MOS and 01:35.198 --> 01:37.309 that are better shooters than you and 01:37.309 --> 01:39.309 apply that and teach it to your own 01:39.309 --> 01:40.309 unit . 01:43.410 --> 01:45.500 The goal is simple , build better 01:45.500 --> 01:47.860 shooters across the force because the 01:47.860 --> 01:49.916 skills tested on the range translate 01:49.916 --> 01:51.582 directly to the battlefield . 01:54.040 --> 01:55.762 This isn't about points on the 01:55.762 --> 01:57.818 scorecard or the weight of a medal . 01:58.589 --> 02:00.811 Competition is the ultimate stress test 02:00.811 --> 02:03.889 for lethality . In the heat of these 02:03.889 --> 02:06.139 matches , you've been forced to force 02:06.139 --> 02:08.250 your bodies to remain calm while your 02:08.250 --> 02:10.028 heart rate spiked . Because you 02:10.028 --> 02:12.195 competed here , you are more than just 02:12.195 --> 02:14.306 shooters . You are practitioners of a 02:14.306 --> 02:16.306 craft that ensures when our army is 02:16.306 --> 02:18.528 called to resolve a conflict , we do so 02:18.528 --> 02:21.850 with surgical precision . At the end of 02:21.850 --> 02:24.169 the week , one competitor stood above 02:24.169 --> 02:27.910 the rest . The 02:27.910 --> 02:31.429 2026 United States Army small arms 02:31.429 --> 02:34.729 champion is Sergeant First Class Eric 02:34.830 --> 02:35.570 Vargas . 02:40.919 --> 02:42.919 What it means to be a US Army small 02:42.919 --> 02:45.141 arms champion because all the time I've 02:45.141 --> 02:47.197 spent training other soldiers on the 02:47.197 --> 02:49.308 experts with their weapons systems is 02:49.308 --> 02:51.419 paying off and all the practice I put 02:51.419 --> 02:53.586 in to be an expert myself is just it's 02:53.586 --> 02:54.250 working , it's paying off .