JBER hosts Alaska Armed Forces Skeet Champioinship

Matt Palmer fires at a skeet during the annual Alaska Armed Forces Skeet Championships held at the Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson Skeet and Trap Range May 5. The championship was held from 4-6 May and was open to military members, retired military and civilians. Palmer is retired Army and a native of Wasila, Alaska. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Robert Barnett)

JBER hosts Alaska Armed Forces Skeet Champioinship

Air Force Staff Sgt. Albert Brown fires at a skeet during annual the Alaska Armed Forces Skeet Championships held at the Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson Skeet and Trap Range May 5. The championship was held from 4-6 May and was open to military members, retired military and civilians. Brown serves as an Aerospace Maintenance Craftsman for the 962 Aircraft Maintenance Unit and is native to Redding, Calif. He is also the winner for the 12 gauge rounds. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Robert Barnett)

JBER hosts Alaska Armed Forces Skeet Championship

Erwin Samuelson fires at a skeet during the annual Alaska Armed Forces Skeet Championships held at the Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson Skeet and Trap Range May 5. The championship was held from 4-6 May and was open to military members, retired military and civilians. Samuelson works for Chugach Electric and is native to Anchorage, Alaska. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Robert Barnett)

JBER hosts Alaska Armed Forces Skeet Championship

Published May 17, 2012
By Air Force Staff Sgt. Robert Barnett
JBER Public Affairs

JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska -- Alaska Armed Forces Skeet Championships kicked off at the Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson Skeet and Trap Range, JBER, Alaska May 4. The event continued through May 6, and was open to the public for competition.

"This is the Alaska Armed Forces Skeet shoot," said Air Force Staff Sgt. Albert Brown, 962nd Aircraft Maintenance Unit Aerospace Maintenance craftsman. "Anyone can come, but it's mostly for military members who are stationed out here."

It isn't just used by the base; people interested in skeet shooting travel here to participate.

"People from Fairbanks, Eielson Air Force Base and Fort Wainwright come here to shoot with us," he said.

The championship is run by the National Skeet Shooting Association, Brown said.
"We do it every year, usually the first weekend of May," he said. "Usually we get around 20 shooters. This year I think we got about 10 active duty members shooting today and quite a few of retired military folks that came out."

The competition lasted three days. Shooters use multiple gauges during the event.
"This year we shot a 12-gauge event Friday morning," Brown said. "We shot a round of doubles Friday afternoon. We shot some 28-gauges Saturday. Sunday we shot 12-gauges to 20-gauges."

The scoring is broken down into three major categories.

"We break it out so there's a military champion, civilian champion and retired champion," he said.

Brown himself won first place in the 12-gauge category.

"I got started competitively in this in 2007," he said. "That's not long compared to some of these guys that have been shooting for 40 years."

The opportunity to shoot skeet on base makes the difference, he said.

"Having a range on base is what drives me to do it," he said. "It's really convenient, not a lot bases have a range anymore."

Largely, the competition is about fun.

"It's really fun, there's a lot of camaraderie out here," Brown said. "Stuff at work, you leave it at work and come out here and relax. "