USAF Action Shooting Team competes in competition
Members of the U.S. Air Force Action Shooting Team competed in a shooting competition at Rio Salado Sportsman’s Club in Mesa, Ariz., Nov. 10, 2023.
Master Sgt. Robert Wilson, 22nd Security Forces Squadron flight chief and USAF Action Shooting Team captain, Tech. Sgt. Michael Schuerhoff, 49th Civil Engineer Squadron intelligence non-commissioned officer in charge and Staff Sgt. Christian Magaling, 354th Fighter Squadron weapons technician, attended the United States Practical Shooting Association competition to compete against Army, Marine, Secret Servicemen and professional civilian marksmen.
Magaling placed in the top five out of 142 other competitors in his division.
“Finishing in the top five of the carry optics division against some of the best competitors in the country was a humbling experience for me,” said Magaling. “With all the hard work and dedication I’ve devoted to this sport, I feel it was a well-deserved finish, but we will continue practicing and improving for future competitions.”
The USAF Action Shooting Team competes at dozens of competitions each year and is always looking for new talent.
“The way our team is currently postured, we are all Airmen first, completing our day-to-day duties in our respective AFSCs, and compete as Air Force ambassadors and professional shooters as a secondary duty,” said Wilson. “This means we’re not all stationed together, and while this can allow us more widespread reach as a Team, we don’t always get a chance to train or attend matches as teammates. One of the things that may help the Team to continue to grow and develop, in addition to a potential increase in funding, is increased public affairs and media engagement as there are many Airmen, and Senior Leaders alike, who are unaware we have world-class Airmen competing on behalf of the USAF against the best professional shooters in the world every weekend.”
Despite any shortfalls, the team still manages to provide valuable outreach on behalf of the Air Force.
“There are a lot of junior shooters in the sport,” said Schuerhoff. “We get quite a bit of interest from young people asking about the Air Force, our team and how to join. I always encourage them to find resources or help them get in contact with a local recruiter.”
Competitions such as these give the Action Shooting Team opportunities to build connections with civilians and represent the Air Force.
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