The atmosphere surrounding competitive shooting varies depending upon the discipline. Smallbore, for example, is a festival. Galleries are filled with canopies, flags, friends, and family. Spectators work the grill, yell out support, and cheer without abandon. Long Range High Power, on the other hand, is an island. No flags, no cheering -- just a solemn climate of concentration. Which is why the appearance of a family on the sidelines stood out during Long Range at Camp Perry.

Conspicuously stationed amongst the abandoned wagons on gear was the Litke family. Live and in person at Camp Perry for one reason and one reason only. "We wanted be here to show our support, we're very proud of him," the family echoed. And what a family it was.

Mom, dad, grandmother, grandfather, another grandmother, godmother, father–in–law, mother–in–law ... everyone except for the family dog. Well, almost everyone — apparently Mrs. Jared Litke (the competitor's wife) drew the short straw and was home watching the dogs. Talk about luck.

The rest of family Litke traveled two hours from their home base of Stow, Ohio, to watch their Marine in his second attempt at besting Camp Perry. "He actually shot pretty well for his first time in competition last year," said his mom. "He's doing well this year too. We're proud of everything he's done – especially joining the Corps."

Currently stationed in Quantico, Virginia, Jared joined the Marines four years ago this May. And the family couldn't have been happier with his decision. "We were excited when he told us he wanted to join," said his mom. "It was something he chose to do, he had a plan all together, and he simply completed the plan. He just went in and has been doing wonderful."

The Remington Band of Brothers match has concluded, but do you know the significance of the trophy associated with this competition? Pictured at right, this trophy is awarded to the winner of the 1,000 yard Any Sight Match at the NRA National Long Range Championships.

It makes its debut on stage at Camp Perry last night.

The Remington “Band of Brothers” Trophy is a large bronze sculpture created by Sculptor James Muir. The trophy depicts a D-Day Scenario in World War II, with U.S. soldiers in a jeep breaking through enemy lines to carry a wounded officer to safety.

The sculpture is very detailed, including “bullet holes” surrounding the jeep and a large American flag on the jeep hood to avoid drawing the fire of Army Air Corps fighter planes. The trophy has a 24-inch wooden pentagon shaped base. The jeep is guided by the iron hand and nerve of its 4th Infantry Division driver and guided by an eagle-eyed 101st Airborne "Pathfinder" riding shotgun with a Springfield M1903-A1 sniper rifle.

This piece of artwork was donated to the NRA by Remington Arms Company, Inc. as a tribute to the heroism of “brother” Americans who fought to preserve freedom against the stronghold of Fascism.

Raymond Anti has been coming to Camp Perry for 36 consecutive years. This year he brought along his son and two grandchildren to participate in the National Matches (From left to right: Mike, Will, Matt and Raymond Anti).

The Anti family, like many others, are heavily involved in the shooting sports. Raymond spent over 30 years in the Marine Corps before retiring as a Captain. During this time, he was both a shooter and coach on the Marine Corps Shooting Team. After retiring from the Marine Corps, Raymond served as the coach of the Navy Shooting Team at the Naval Academy for a number of years.

While shooting competitively, Raymond reached the rare and coveted position of double distinguished in service rifle and pistol. This feat requires such a level of achievement that most shooters will not even come close during their careers.

Now, Raymond works on the line at Camp Perry. While not as glamorous as shooting, his duties ensure the matches run smoothly and everyone has a pleasant experience.

For the 2nd generation, Raymond's son Mike is also helping work the line like his father. An accomplished shooter himself, Mike recently retired from the Army and is now the coach of the shooting team at the Air Force Academy. 

When he was a child, Mike trained with legendary shooter Lones Wigger -- and it certainly has shown. This is his first year as a volunteer at Camp Perry, but Mike has attended as a competitor in the past, and quite successfully. He won the 3-Position Championship in 1994, 2003 and 2006 as well as the Prone Championship in 2000. Perhaps most impressive in a career's worth of great shooting, Mike won a Silver Medal at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece.

Matt and Will, Mike's two sons, joined their father and grandfather at Camp Perry this year. This is the first experience at the National Matches for both of the boys. Will has only been shooting a couple years, but will compete in the Prone Championship next week. Matt is not a shooter, but came out to volunteer on the line like his father and grandfather.

It is not uncommon to see mothers and fathers shooting alongside their children at Camp Perry, but a story like the Antis is much rarer. Even though they are not all competing, it is still very impressive to have three generations attending the National Matches and the work they do on the line is not only important, but necessary to having a safe match.

Dwight Hayes is a regular at the Bracken Rifle & Pistol Range in San Antonio, Texas. With his Lone Star cap snugly in place, he goes to the range to work on guns, organize shoots, and gather with friends. It's a long way from his time as a Special Forces Weapons Sergeant at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, but it's time well spent.

"If you're in San Antonio, Bracken is the place to be," said Hayes. "Bracken and the folks at Alamo Mobility have been great to us disabled vets."

Working with disabled veterans is of great importance to Dwight. It's an attitude he developed while hospitalized after a failed High Altitude Low Opening, or HALO, jump. Having more than a hundred such jumps under his belt, this one should have been all but routine.

"I broke one of my rules," smiled Hayes. "Gotta stick to the rules."

So what are the rules?

"During a HALO jump, you're okay if you can see the road. If you see the cars, you're still okay. If you can make out the color of the car, you're still okay. If you can tell the difference between a Ford and a Chevy, you're still okay. If you can make out the gender of the driver, you're still okay. But if you can make out the license plate, then you're in trouble."

Before there's a chance to react, Dwight rocks his wheelchair with laughter and slaps my back. Apparently the story is a standard.

"They love that one back at Audie Murphy."

More...

At tonight's First Shot Ceremony, Ohio Governor Ted Strickland is the guest of honor and will fire the first shot to symbolize the beginning of the 2010 National Rifle and Pistol Matches. Strickland is well known in Ohio for his support of veterans and our troops. He created the Ohio Department of Veterans Services in 2008. He also realizes the magnitude of the National Matches and the business brought to this area of the state. 

"I have seen firsthand the cooperative work between the Ohio National Guard, Civilian Marksmanship Program, and the National Rifle Association," Strickland said. "Their efforts result in a first class event which has an economic impact of $20 million to the region." 

The ceremony will kick off tonight at 6:30 at Rodriguez Range. Spectators are invited, so join us if you're in the area. NRAblog will have a full report tomorrow. 

This Sig Sauer 1911 is about to achieve two important goals: it is going to make someone very, very happy, and the proceeds from its online auction are going to support our nation's troops.

Honored American Veterans Afield, or HAVA, is front and center in this online offering. Hosted by Gun Nuts Media, the Sig is the first of three items scheduled for the auction block.

The NRA is also a supporter of HAVA, described on its website as a "non-profit organization dedicated to the needs of the returning disabled veteran whose healing and re-integration into American life can be substantially enhanced by participation in hunting and shooting sports."

"The short version is that HAVA helps wounded vets," Gun Nuts Media's Caleb Giddings told NRAblog. "Travis from Crimson Trace told us about one of the guys they had been working with...and I decided back in September of last year that I wanted to do something and help our vets out."

NRAblog is pleased to present the final scores from the Air Gun competition at this week's 30th National Veterans Wheelchair Games in Denver, Colorado. Our congratulations to everyone who pulled a trigger -- an extra nod goes to Carl Cortright and Walter Evans, Jr. for attaining top marks in their respective classifications.

Divisions for this competition were divided into two separate classifications; SH1 and SH2. SH1 are shooters who don't require the use of a support stand when firing their rifle and SH2 are shooters who do. Each category was additionally divided by gender and experience (novice, open, and master.)

SH1 Shooters
Name	Class	Division	Results	Place
Thomas Strang	SH1	Masters - Male	515	1
Harlan Ebert	SH1	Masters - Male	496	2
Larry Foster	SH1	Masters - Male	491	3
Dawn Mattson	SH1	Novice - Female	371	1
Linda Hutchinson	SH1	Novice - Female	352	2
Christie Hill-Smith	SH1	Novice - Female	333	3
Robin Brown	SH1	Novice - Male	487	1
David Holland	SH1	Novice - Male	459	2
Alberto Velasco	SH1	Novice - Male	452	3
Chatriex Goodson	SH1	Open - Female	547	1
Holly Koester	SH1	Open - Female	529	2
Deborah Dones	SH1	Open - Female	410	3
Carl Cortright	SH1	Open - Male	594	1
Hugh O'Donnell	SH1	Open - Male	488	2
Michael Guilbault	SH1	Open - Male	484	3

More...

The Air Gun portion of the 2010 National Veterans Wheelchair Games are over, but NRAblog coverage of the event is not!

Stay tuned for more profiles of the folks who competed and additional photo slideshows.

As of Thursday, June 7, 2010 at 10:55 a.m., Christie Hill-Smith of Memphis, Tennessee is a three-time National Veterans Wheelchair Games medalist; quite the feat for a first time participant. With victories in 9-Ball, Bowling, and Swimming, the only thing left on the table is Air Gun – and those results should be released any second now.

As part of the U.S. Army Military Police, Christie's life took a turn in September of 2001.

“After that happened, I thought to myself there was no way I was going to sit this out,” said Christie. “It was time to get in the action.”

Soon she became one of the first Combat MPs in Iraq. Not one to sit behind the lines waiting to hear about the missions of others, she immediately jumped into the fray.

“I had Kid Rock playing on my iPod, firing that M2 49 and singing at the top of my lungs,” she said.

Now her goals and musical choices have changed. More...

There may just be one relay left, but there's still plenty of material in the pipeline; more pictures, more stories, and - soon enough - the final scores.

NRAblog will post the scores as soon as they're available, but until then, here are a few more images from the 30th National Veterans Wheelchair Games in Denver, Colorado.

Brigadier General William E. Hudson, Assistant Adjutant General of the Colorado Air National Guard, stopped by the Air Gun competition at the 30th National Veterans Wheelchair Games in Denver, Colorado.

"We gave him a brief run down of the competition, how the ten meter shoot is part of both Olympic and Paralympic games," said one volunteer. "He was impressed that these every day competitors are shooting on the same course as those highly trained athletes."

Having previously encountered disabled veterans at locations such as the Center for the Intrepid in San Antonio, Texas, General Hudson was also shown how those with higher levels of impairment shot without use of their hands. Pictured to the right with NRA Disabled Shooting Manager Vanessa Ross, the crew introduced General Hudson to the sip-and-puff.

"The sip-and-puff is a great tool for these veterans," said NRA Disabled Shooting Manager Vanessa Ross. "With just a single release of air, and the assisted aiming of a volunteer, they can fire their guns right on target."

Stay tuned to NRAblog as we continue to follow the action here at the 30th National Veterans Wheelchair Games in Denver, Colorado.

There's a constant crowd here at the 30th National Veterans Wheelchair Games in Denver, Colorado. In the lobby, in the halls, and at every event are hundreds of volunteers. With camouflage pants and white T-shirts, those in the Capitol Ballroom, where the Air Gun event takes place, are from the 244th Engineer Battalion out of Aurora, Colorado.

“Lt. Colonel Henning thought it would be a good way to get our soldiers more involved in the community,” said 2nd Lieutenant Keith Robinson. “It’s also a helpful way to remind them of the sacrifices countless others have made in the defense of our country.”

At 52 soldiers strong, the work of the 244th has not gone unnoticed.

“It blows my mind,” said one shooter from Hampton Roads, Virginia. “They could be at home, watching television in the air conditioning, instead they're here making it possible for us to run into our old friends and help us compete.”

And getting here, to paraphrase, was more than half the battle. It took three months worth of negotiations between the Reserves, the Paralyzed Veterans of America, and other branches of the military to make their participation possible. It was the memory of a meeting in Iraq that let Lt. Robinson know it was worth the effort.

“There was a meeting with the Joint Chiefs,” Robinson recalled. “One of their aides had a prosthetic foot. There, serving in a combat zone, with a prosthetic foot. If he could do that, then we could certainly find a way to volunteer at this event.”

But for some it means more than that. It’s more than posting targets, listening to stories, or carrying rifles. For some it’s about respect.

“When I came back from Vietnam, we didn’t get near this level of recognition,” said the Hampton Roads competitor. “When I go home, I’m going to tell all they guys back at the VA what they missed.”

First shot at the 30th National Veterans Wheelchair Games in Denver, Colorado went off with a plink. That’s exactly how it sounds here at the Air Gun competition. Competitors display a wide array of emotions; some are intense, some are smiling, and some are satisfied with the mere act of competing.

“We’ve seen a wonderful change in our guys,” said a group leader from California. “They find a sport in which they can flourish and their smiles are contagious.”

The stories are as diverse as those who are shooting; An Army ranger injured post-retirement, an officer with multiple sclerosis, an enlisted man wounded in combat. They come from California, from Ohio, from Texas, and more.

Each competitor shoots three rounds of twenty shots in thirty minutes. Only one shot per target … with exceptions of course. No matter what the results, they find a way to make it through.

With the first round complete, all that’s left is the scoring. We’ll post any updates as soon as possible.

NRAblog is always pleased to announce new shooting records, and today we had the chance to attend an award ceremony honoring 1st Lt Trevor Hengehold’s Service record for high power.

The brief but dignified ceremony took place inside NRA’s National Firearms Museum here at headquarters, and Hengehold was presented with a certificate for his excellent performance on February 7, 2010 in Phoenix, AZ—he fired 200-14X at 1000 yards, 20 shots with metallic sights.

Many NRA staff members were present, along with about ten other marines who stood behind Hengehold during the ceremony. Michael Krei, Director of NRA National Competitions, began the event by explaining Hengehold’s achievement and thanking the marines in attendance: “I want to thank you for serving our country and protecting all of us.”

Major Edward J. Land, Jr., NRA Secretary, then concluded the ceremony by making a few remarks of his own: “The opportunity to present one to one of my fellow marines is an honor. I feel very strongly about the National Record, which is why I personally sign each one.”

Congratulations to 1st Lt Hengehold, pictured above, on this incredible accomplishment!

The Fourth of July is more than Independence Day for hundreds of disabled veterans. In addition to the fireworks and barbecues, the 30th National Veterans Wheelchair Games takes off in Denver, Colorado.

That's where you'll find hundreds of Veteran athletes, NRA Disabled Shooting Manager Vanessa Ross and NRAblog. Founded in 1981, the Veterans Wheelchair Games is open to any retired serviceman with spinal cord injuries, certain neurological conditions, amputations or other mobility impairments. That year's competition had less than 100 participants from 14 states.

Since then, attendance has ballooned into the hundreds with competitors coming from as far as Puerto Rico and Great Britain. While events such as rugby, swimming, track, and basketball will be well on their way, Warner is on hand in Denver with the air gun competition which starts at 8 a.m. Mountain Time on Tuesday, July 6. Be sure to check back on NRAblog for reports from the games and updates on the scores.