About the Army Reserve Marksmanship Program
The U.S. Army Reserve Marksmanship Unit represents the forefront of small arms skill in the Reserve and are the only formally proven and acknowledged experts on the proper use and training of small arms across the force. These shooter-instructors are some of the world’s best trained small arms marksmen, conducting small arms training, hosting marksmanship events and competing at major venues throughout the United States and abroad.
U.S. Army Reserve Marksmanship Training and Competitive Program
All members of the U.S. Army Reserve are eligible to try out for and earn slots with the USAR Marksmanship Training and Competitive Program regardless of their current unit assignments. These slots are open to the best shooters in the entire Army Reserve.
Joining the US Army Reserve Marksmanship Training and Competitive Program
1. Read this entire page first.
2. Host a local Postal Match. Our Team emphasis is training Soldiers and our Postal Matches are designed to teach and validate skills necessary to succeed in current Army qualifications.
3. Compete on your own in competitive shooting.
4. Soldiers with documented competitive shooting experience and that has hosted Postal Matches for others is added to the Development roster, eligible to attend USAR competitions and training events by invitation.
5. Soldier’s unit commander signs and submits a memo of understanding for events.
6. Current team/program member retains eligibility of their assigned slot based on current Roster Procedures. This includes hosting a local Postal Match each year. Development Roster members are eligible to advance to the Main Roster when vetted as per current Main Roster procedures.
Further Guidelines
"I am interested in competitive shooting. How can I get slot in a military marksmanship program?"
When first learning about military-sponsored shooting teams many troops will ask how they can get a slot. Right now, check for updates to this site and visit us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/USARCMP Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/usarcmp
Go shoot!
Your next step in earning a slot on a shooting team is to start in bigger competitive shooting. The best way to start in competitive shooting is to go find events, be it military or civilian, on your own, and start attending.
Consider a player vying for a position on a pro sports team. If he doesn't already have years of solid background with high school and/or college teams, forget it! A couch potato who was never formally participated in that type of event is not going to be offered a tryout. Why bother?
Yet, you'd be amazed how many troops with zero competition shooting experience complain that they can't get started because no team will give them equipment or fund their travel to a match. For every 100+ troops with no previous relevant competition and instructor experience, maybe one of them is worth a look. Even if/when you earn a slot, you'll still have to shoot and train on your own so already having places and venues to do so will help long term as well.
Find out what ranges are in your area and look into attending organized civilian events. Nearly every team shooter has a civilian shooting background and the best way to get started is to simply jump in. If you approach a team having already participated in matches and earning higher-level classifications on your own, any coach will want you to try out.
Military Sponsored Events
For military sponsored events, find a National Guard sponsored event in your state. Even if you're not the Guard, you can shoot the EIC (Excellence In Competition) events. The Arkansas Guard, at Camp Robinson, is the national headquarters for the National Guard Marksmanship Training Unit
All Army is hosted by the Army Marksmanship Unit at Fort Benning every year in the spring and is open to all Active, Reserve and Guard Army personnel. Even if you're not on a team you can register in advance on your own and be able to borrow guns and get a free place to stay on post. The event is HIGHLY recommended!
Service Rifle and Pistol
Two of the USAR CMP's primary disciplines (Service Rifle and Service Pistol) are shot as civilian conventional competitions recognized by the National Rifle Association and Civilian Marksmanship Program. Precision Rifle/National Rifle, ConventionalShooter.org and HunterShooter.org are other suitable outlets.
Combat/Service Conditions
Service Conditions (Combat) are NATO and Commonwealth events that don't currently have a civilian equivalent in the United States, however, there are civilian Service Conditions matches held around the world, sometimes jointly with military-hosted events, such as in Canada under the auspices of the Dominion of Canada Rifle Association, in South Africa with the South Africa Combat Rifle Association, and in New Zealand with the New Zealand Service Rifle Association, among others. MilitaryMarksman is an American Service Conditions event open to everyone.
The bottom line is, if you want to be on a military-sponsored shooting team you need to be a competition shooter. You become a competition shooter by being a competition shooter. Shoot events on your own whenever and wherever you can, attend events like All Army, and earn Classifications in the formal shooting events listed above first. You must begin by doing this on your own before applying for a slot. Stay in contact with the USAR Marksmanship Program through this site and you'll eventually be able to earn a slot.