{"id":438887,"date":"2025-05-06T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-05-06T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/?p=438887"},"modified":"2025-05-08T05:18:29","modified_gmt":"2025-05-08T05:18:29","slug":"military-police-soldier-is-top-shooter-at-new-yorks-2025-adjutant-generals-match","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/?p=438887","title":{"rendered":"Military Police Soldier is top shooter at New York’s 2025 Adjutant General\u2019s Match"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n U.S. Marines Sgt. Brandon Stanford, assigned to 2nd Battalion, 25th Marines Division, fires the M17 pistol during the 46th annual Adjutant General’s Combat Marksmanship Skills Competition (TAG match) at Camp Smith Training Site, N.Y., April 24, 2025. The TAG match is a 3-day event conducted by the New York National Guard to promote excellence in marksmanship. (U.S. Army National Guard Photos by Sgt. Jean Sanon)
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\n U.S. Army Brigadier General Isabel Smith, commander of the 53rd Troop Command, left, and Command Sgt. Maj. Marc Maynard, right, present the Ltc. William Donovan Combat Team Pistol Match award for first place to team \u201cMake a Wish\u201d, during The 46th annual Adjutant General Match at Camp Smith Training Site, near Peekskill, N.Y., April 26, 2025. The TAG Match is a 3-day event conducted by the New York National Guard to promote excellence in marksmanship. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Spc. Richelle Cruickshank)
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\n U.S. Army Brigadier General Isabel Smith, commander of the 53rd Troop Command, left, and Command Sgt. Maj. Marc Maynard, right, present the 2025 Ssg. Joe Dee Overall Team Competition award for first place to team \u201cSnowdrops\u201d, during The 46th annual Adjutant General Match at Camp Smith Training Site, near Peekskill, N.Y., April 26, 2025. The TAG Match is a 3-day event conducted by the New York National Guard to promote excellence in marksmanship. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Spc. Richelle Cruickshank)
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\n U.S. Army Brigadier General Isabel Smith, commander of the 53rd Troop Command, left, and Command Sgt. Maj. Marc Maynard, right, present the Maj. Bruce E. Olsen Excellence in Combat Warrior Challenge award for first place to Sgt. David Amendola, assigned to the 442nd Military Police Company, during The 46th annual Adjutant General Match at Camp Smith Training Site, near Peekskill, N.Y., April 26, 2025. The TAG Match is a 3-day event conducted by the New York National Guard to promote excellence in marksmanship. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Spc. Richelle Cruickshank)
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\n U.S. Army Brigadier General Isabel Smith, commander of the 53rd Troop Command, left, and Command Sgt. Maj. Marc Maynard, right, present the Sgt. Thomas Baker Individual Combat Pistol Match award for first place to Staff Sgt. Eric Guest, assigned to Joint Force Headquarters, during The 46th annual Adjutant General Match at Camp Smith Training Site, near Peekskill, N.Y., April 26, 2025. The TAG Match is a 3-day event conducted by the New York National Guard to promote excellence in marksmanship. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Spc. Richelle Cruickshank)
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\n New York Guard Col. John Mechmann, fires an M17 pistol during the 46th annual TAG Match at Camp Smith Training Site, near Peekskill, N.Y., April 24, 2025. The TAG Match is a 3-day event conducted by the New York Army National Guard to offer Soldiers, Airmen and the New York Naval Militia the opportunity to promote excellence in marksmanship skills and weapon systems in a battle-focused environment. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Spc. Richelle Cruickshank)
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CAMP SMITH TRAINING SITE, N.Y. \u2013 New York Army National Guard Sgt. David Amendola, a Military Police Soldier with the 442nd Military Police Company, was the overall individual winner of New York\u2019s \u201cAdjutant General Match\u201d shooting competition.<\/p>\n

Amendola bested 48 competitors to win the 46th annual shooting competition at the Camp Smith Training Site, from April 23 to 26.<\/p>\n

The TAG Match, officially known as The Adjutant General\u2019s Marksmanship Sustainment Training Competition, is held each year to promote and provide marksmanship and small arms sustainment training.<\/p>\n

Amendola and a few other competitors were at Camp Smith just two weeks before, participating in the New York Army National Guard Best Warrior Competition.<\/p>\n

Other Soldiers and Airmen who fired are also serving on the volunteer state active-duty support missions at the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, known as DOCCS.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was a part of the Best Warrior Competition that happened here a few weeks ago,\u201d Amendola said. \u201cThat, hands down, prepared me and gave me an advantage over those who may not have had the same training.\u201d<\/p>\n

Amendola scored a total of 173 points, winning the individual warrior challenge.<\/p>\n

He also received the Sgt. First Class Brent J. Lantange Overall Individual Combat Award, scoring 371 points. This award is given to the individual with the highest overall combined scores for both pistol matches.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo go from the DOCCS mission where we were helping the corrections officers, to the Best Warrior Competition where we were in a high stress combat environment, to the TAG Match that focuses on marksmanship is just a humbling experience,\u201d Amendola said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI’m just thankful to be here and serve,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

Staff Sgt. Eric Guest won first place in the Sgt. Thomas Baker Individual Combat Pistol Match with a score of 217 points.<\/p>\n

The match offers New York National Guard Airmen, Soldiers, naval militia and the New York Guardsman an opportunity to test their weapons employment and marksmanship skills.<\/p>\n

This year’s competition is unique because the pistol, an M17 Sig Sauer weapon system was featured, unlike the past in which the featured weapon was the M4 rifle.<\/p>\n

The Camp Smith rifle ranges are being rebuilt to meet the Army\u2019s new standards, so only the pistol ranges could be used, according to Sgt. Maj. Anthony Abbate, the noncommissioned officer-in-charge of this year\u2019s event.<\/p>\n

The work started after the Best Warrior competition, which included an M4 competition, finished, he said.<\/p>\n

So, the marksmanship competition had to be altered to a pistol only match, he explained.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were able to complete the Best Warrior a few weeks ago,\u201d explained Abbate. \u201cThe TAG match was the next major event in light of recent circumstances with the DOCCS support mission.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are glad to have completed this,\u201d Abbate said.<\/p>\n

Team Snow Drops, a four-Soldier member team, won the overall Team Combat match with a score of 1794 points.<\/p>\n

The team consisted of Sgt. First Class Derrick Baldwin, assigned to the 53rd Digital Liaison Detachment, and Staff Sgt. Eric Guest, Sgt. Peter Meppen, Sgt. First Class Scanlon, all assigned to Joint Force Headquarters.<\/p>\n

Team Make-a-Wish, a four-member team consisting of Soldiers and Marines, won the Lt. Col. William Donovan Combat Team Pistol Match with a score of 480 points.<\/p>\n

Amendola was one of those team members. The team also included Marines Sgt. Brandon Stanford, and Sgt. Derrence Morisseau, members of the New York Naval Militia, and Pfc. Joseph Baldwin assigned to Alpha Company of the Recruiting and Retention Battalion.<\/p>\n

The competition consisted of multiple stages to determine the winners.<\/p>\n

Day one consisted of a Combat Pistol Excellence in Competition, and the General Patton Pistol Individual match.<\/p>\n

On day two, the Individual Combat Pistol Match was held.<\/p>\n

Day three of the 2025 TAG Match closed out with an award ceremony.<\/p>\n

Brig Gen. Isabel Smith, the commander of the 53rd Troop Command, presented awards and praised the participants for their efforts.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know we have some outstanding marksmen in our formation, as evidenced by the fierce competition,\u201d Smith said.<\/p>\n

Sgt. Alejandro Sanchez assigned to the 1st Battalion, 69th infantry Regiment, said he enjoyed the challenges the competition brought.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt’s a great accomplishment that allowed me to measure myself against some of the best shooters in the state of New York, and I see an opportunity to inspire other soldiers to set great goals for themselves, and their organization as a whole,\u201d Sanchez said.<\/p>\n

Spc. Robert Lugg, also a member of the 69th, said he enjoyed competing and testing himself.<\/p>\n

Coming together as a team and determining marksmanship skill levels, ways to improve, gain motivation, and work together is what it’s all about, Lugg explained.<\/p>\n

\u201cI love my unit for placing their trust in me to come out here and compete,\u201d Lugg said.<\/p>\n

Abbate said he is hoping to get more service members shooting next year.<\/p>\n

There were 49 competitors in 2024, as well, and he wants that number to increase to 100 in 2026, Abbate said.<\/p>\n

The annual competition gives New York Military Forces members a chance to hone their skills so when they\u2019re firing at Camp Smith, they know they\u2019re going up against the best the New York National Guard can offer, Abbate added.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

1 \/ 6 Show Caption + Hide Caption \u2013 U.S. Marines Sgt. Brandon Stanford, assigned to 2nd Battalion, 25th Marines Division, fires the M17 pistol during the 46th annual Adjutant General’s Combat Marksmanship Skills Competition (TAG match) at Camp Smith Training Site, N.Y., April 24, 2025. The TAG match is a 3-day event conducted by […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":438889,"comment_status":"close","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-438887","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/438887","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=438887"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/438887\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":438896,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/438887\/revisions\/438896"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/438889"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=438887"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=438887"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=438887"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}