Are you a good shot? Did you know there is a Coast Guard program to help you compete at military and civilian marksmanship matches?
The Coast Guard’s Competitive Marksmanship Program motivates participants to improve their shooting proficiency, serves as a unique recruiting tool, and represents the Coast Guard at Department of Defense and civilian national level competitions.
Coast Guard military personnel are encouraged to represent the service in Excellence in Competition (EIC) events to enhance marksmanship and overall firearm proficiency. Find local matches in your region on the Civilian Marksmanship Program website.
Successes
Many members have represented the Coast Guard very well recently.
In the 2022 Navy District Washington Region Pistol Match, Coast Guard members swept the top three places out of 34 competitors. Chief Petty Officers Charlie Petrotto, and Mark Osborne both earned President’s Hundred honors at the National Match in Camp Perry, Ohio, in 2022. Master Chief Petty Officer Justin Olson was the Pistol Aggregate Winner for the 2022 East Coast Navy Fleet Match.
Chief Petty Officer Joe D’Aleo is the runner up for the Coast Guard’s 2022 Male Elite Athlete of the Year. He is the 87th Coast Guardsman to earn the Coast Guard Distinguished Pistol Shot Badge and the 100th to earn the Distinguished Marksman Badge, making him the 32nd Coast Guardsman in history to earn double distinction in service pistol and service rifle. He has also earned the President’s Hundred distinction twice, which is awarded annually at the National Championship Match of the Civilian Marksmanship Program in Camp Perry, Ohio. Chief D’Aleo is one of four Coast Guard members currently authorized to wear the President’s Hundred Tab on his uniforms.
Awards
When you compete, you earn EIC points at local or national matches, which result in competitive marksmanship badges the Coast Guard Office of Specialized Capabilities (CG-721) issues.
The highest individual awards the Coast Guard issues in competitive marksmanship are the Distinguished Marksman (rifle) and Distinguished Pistol Shot Badge. To receive a Distinguished Badge, you must earn a cumulative minimum total of 30 lifetime points. You are credited 10 points for earning Competition Gold in a recognized match, eight points for Competition Silver, and six points for Competition Bronze.
While pursuing your Distinguished Badge, you can earn your Excellence in Competition Badges. The Coast Guard awards a Bronze EIC Badge to those who earn their first credit points, and a Silver EIC Badge to members who earn their second credit points, regardless of credit point value.
Every time you earn points in competition you need to send a copy of the match results with all the relevant information to the Office of Specialized Capabilities for validation and issuance of the appropriate badges and ribbon attachment.
Programmatic assistance
Interested in being an active participant in competitive shooting? There’s assistance out there to get you going. Pending availability, the Office of Specialized Capabilities may be able to provide a match firearm—no, not a pistol out of your unit’s armory, but an appropriate competition firearm—and ammunition for you to use at sanctioned competitions. To request assistance, send a command-endorsed memo to the Office of Specialized Capabilities (CG-721) and review the guidelines outlined in COMDTINST 3590.1B.
For more information or questions, please email the Competitive Marksmanship Program.
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