PORT CLINTON, Ohio – The Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) is privileged to announce that the first speaker for the 2023 national matches will be renowned member of the US Army Marksmanship Unit, Sgt. 1street Brandon Green class. After being a part of the US Army Marksmanship Unit (USAMU) since 2004, Green announced his retirement in 2023, making this year’s National Matches his last in uniform.
Each year, the First Shot Ceremony serves as a welcoming event for guests, participants, volunteers and staff who conduct the National Rifle and Pistol Matches at the Camp Perry National Guard Training Center. The century-old marksmanship event features a month of competitions, vendors and educational opportunities in a variety of disciplines. The First Shot Ceremony includes an evening of notable personalities, classic military displays, live band compositions and other experiences for visitors to enjoy.
The 2023 First Throw Ceremony is open to the public and will take place on Monday, July 10 at 4:30 p.m. on the Camp Perry grounds, led by Green, who will speak and deliver the traditional first throw down to officially open the National Matches. Green will fire the M70 bolt rifle used by DCM Emeritus and two-time Olympic gold medalist Gary Anderson for the standing record 200-yard national game record in 1971, as well as during the 2014 First Shot Ceremony.
Green is widely known as one of the greatest marksmen of the modern era, earning a celebrated and illustrious marksmanship career as an individual and as a member of a team. With USAMU, he has been an integral part of multiple record-setting teams in both the service rifle and long-range rifle and has acted as the lead instructor for the unit’s marksmanship training courses, including during US Army Shooting School. Small Arms held in the National Parties. every year. Green also served as a crew chief for the USAMU Service Rifle Team through 2022.
As an individual, the 2018 National Matches saw Green not only surpass the prestigious President’s 100 Match for the first time in his career, but also set a new national record by clearing the field with a perfect score of 400-20x, something he did not someone else had achieved since the match began in 1894. Unsurprisingly, his record score remains unmatched.
Prior to his nearly 20-year career with USAMU, the Louisiana native started out on the Bogalusa High School Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps air rifle team, where he became the first recipient (Badge #1). of the Junior Distinguished Air Rifle Badge. . His successes as a junior caught the eye of USAMU Fort Benning, Georgia, who recruited him immediately after graduating in 2003. After completing Small Arms Repair School at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, he was assigned as a soldier to USAMU. in March 2004.
From there, Green has made his name known across the country, earning several accolades, including being named Soldier of the Year by the Military Marksmanship Association in 2013.
At the 2017 National Matches, Green shot a record-breaking score of 499-30x during the National Trophy Individual (NTI) event, one of Matches’ most highly regarded competitions. He went on to win the Mountain Man title and a national record score, surpassing the score the following year for a new record of 1296-83X that still stands today. Additionally, in 2017, he captured the championship title during CMP’s inaugural 2400 Aggregate Rifle event during the National Matches High Powered Rifle series.
Green is a three-time winner of the Mountain Man Trophy, awarded to the highest aggregate score in President’s Rifle, NTI, and National Trophy Team (NTT) matches, and is a three-time winner of NTI itself, among several other individual National Trophies won and records.
In 2022, Green became the first individual to sweep all four National Rifle Association Long Range Championship events. Green is also a five-time champion of the Long Range Inter-Service Championships.
Outside of marksmanship, his military awards include the Meritorious Service Medal (3), Army Commendation Medal (2), Army Achievement Medals (4), Good Conduct Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, National Defense Service, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, NCO Career Development Ribbon, and Army Service Ribbon.
Find out more about the 2023 national matches, including a full schedule of events, on the CMP website at https://thecmp.org/cmp-national-matches/.
The Civilian Marksmanship Program is a federally chartered 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation. It is dedicated to firearms safety and marksmanship training and the promotion of marksmanship competition for United States citizens. To learn more about the CMP and its programs, log on to www.TheCMP.org.