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Inaugural M9 EIC Match a Big Success

By Christine Elder, CMP Communications


Nick Pappas Photo – Nick Pappas of Chicago, IL, won the National Matches’ first M9 EIC Match with a 283-7X total.


The two-day Pistol Small Arms Firing School offers beginning shooters an excellent introduction to pistol shooting. This year it also gave students an opportunity to fire their first EIC match. This special EIC match was patterned after military combat matches that also award 4-point “introductory” legs. It is designed to promote greater interest in service pistol shooting and proved to be very popular with school students.

On the morning of the first day of the school, USAMU Pistol Team members presented classroom instruction in the post theater. Their presentations covered equipment, fundamentals of pistol marksmanship, establishing a system, goal setting, mental and physical training and on/off range training. After the class, students received their mandatory safety briefing and had an opportunity to ask questions to a panel of pistol champions that included SFC Adam Sokolowski, SSG James Henderson, Steve Reiter, GySgt Brian Zins and an Army armorer.

Sgt William Dourte, member of the USMC Pistol Team, watches as students fire during the M9 EIC Match. M9 competitors could use either two- or one-handed stances. New shooters are encouraged to start with the two-handed stance.
That afternoon, students moved onto the range where they were paired up with a military pistol team member who acted as a coach and safety officer. Each coach covered two firing points where they worked with one experienced shooter and one newcomer. The one-on-one coaching was excellent as they reinforced the morning lessons on sight alignment, trigger control and pistol shooting tactics. All students fired 35 rounds in slow, timed and rapid fire sequences.

On day two of the school, SAFS students had an opportunity to fire in the Inaugural M9 EIC Match. The new match was established as a “special EIC match” (see CMP Rules 9.1.2 and 9.7) where the top 10 percent of the competitors who are not Distinguished and who have earned no previous EIC points can win 4-point legs.

Each competitor firing in the M9 EIC Match received an Inaugural M9 EIC Match pin.
Nick Pappas, of Chicago, IL, was the top competitor who was eligible to earn EIC points in this match. Pappas is a member of the Chicago Police Department Pistol Team. He was awarded four EIC leg points that count towards earning the prestigious Distinguished Pistol Shot Badge. A total of 26 shooters including Pappas earned their first EIC points in the M9 Match. They are listed below:

  1. Pappas, Nick (11428) 283 - 7

  2. Abraham, Greg (54663) 277 - 6

  3. Patton, James (54054) 274 - 6

  4. Weixel, Jim (10868) 272 - 3

  5. Taylor, Jimmie (38201) 270 - 7

  6. Giesen, Kenneth (37594) 270 - 3

  7. Hill, Jan (2872) 267 - 6

  8. Offord, Edward II (19871) 267 - 4

  9. Hirasuna, Stephen (10554) 267 - 3

  10. Wynne, Nick (11348) 265 - 2

  11. Pearson, Eric (18008) 264 - 5

  12. Culver, Jerry (5717) 262 - 3

  13. Turner, Steve (11388) 261 - 5

  14. Pickard, Richard (10674) 261 - 3

  15. Holmes, Donald (7115) 261 - 2

  16. Tenney, Vernon (18839) 260 - 4

  17. Bennett, David (10565) 260 - 2

  18. CPT Zarychta, William ARNG (52413) 259 - 2

  19. Hanson, Bruce (11358) 257 - 3

  20. Dittenhofer, William (5813) 256 - 2

  21. Rabie, Ron (21947) 255 - 2

  22. Fleming, Christopher (7618) 255 - 2

  23. Ganoom, Omar (7333) 254 - 4

  24. Flood, Terrence (53169) 253 - 3

  25. Bailey, James (37723) 252 - 3

  26. Tripputi, Peter (54637) 248 - 4

     

Shannon Hand of the CMP hands out certificates to a junior pistol shooter during the conclusion of the Pistol SAFS.

Each student in the school received a SAFS certificate, 2006 SAFS T-shirt, USAMU Pistol Guide and an Inaugural EIC Match Pin. Special thanks goes to the U. S. Army Pistol Team and to all the military pistol coaches who dedicated their time and expertise to teaching Pistol SAFS students how to become safe, skillful pistol shooters. To view results from the Inaugural M9 EIC Match, click on http://clubs.odcmp.com/ntpistol. To view pictures from the match, click on http://www.odcmp.com/Photos/06/Pistol_SAFS_M9_Match/index.htm.