Parting shot by AASAM champ

CA Lt-Gen Peter Leahy presents Sgt Mark Blake with the champion shot trophy at last year’s AASAM. Photo by Sgt Mark Dowling, 1JPAU(P)

By Cpl Sean Burton
THE Army’s top shots will soon be putting their marksmanship skills to use at this year’s AASAM (Australian Army Skill at Arms Meeting).

The 19-day competition is being conducted at Greenbank military range complex, Brisbane, from November 9 to November 27.

ASSAM is a three-part competition with a domestic, international and Australian Army Champion Shot competition.

Last year’s champion shot of the Army was won by 2RAR sniper, Sgt Mark Blake.

He cleaned up in the rifle competition by winning five of the six rifle matches in the champion shot competition.

He shot 290 out of a possible 300 during the Applied Marksmanship Practice and was also a strong competitor in the combat pistol matches and the international A team.

Both the Australian A and B international teams did well and won the Vickers Trophy for best overall team in a close fought match with Malaysia.

Sgt Blake will not be defending his title this year as he is discharging from the Army in December after 15 years service.

He tips this year’s ASSAM champion shot to be Capt Stuart Boyd-Law, APA-S, or fellow 2RAR sniper and 2000 champion shot, Sgt Andrew Munn.

Sgt Munn persuaded Sgt Blake to participate in ASSAM four years ago after noticing his instinctive marksmanship.

Sgt Blake supports the new ASSAM competition format, which was introduced last year with guidance from the School of Infantry.

“It has been developed into a more relevant, quick, instinctive shooting competition that is more combat orientated,” he said.

He said the marksmanship principles, soldiers learnt in training were a good foundation but it wasn’t enough alone to maintain the skill.

“To be good instinctive shots, soldiers have to keep shooting on combat-orientated ranges – it can’t just stop after the basic level training.

“With practice anyone can shoot from a comfortable prone position but how relevant is that on operations?

“Training must teach soldiers the need to think and shoot quick on their feet.”

Sgt Blake puts his champion shooting skills down to pig hunting at every opportunity.

“Hunting is how I learnt to shoot, shooting at moving targets that will suddenly pop up so its instinctive at different sized targets and ranges.”

Sgt Blake said he has fulfilled his career ambitions as a sniper supervisor and has now set his sights on new targets outside the Army.

He still hopes to receive his ASSAM rifle trophy, which was promised to him, before he leaves the Army in December.

“It’s probably sitting in an office collecting dust but it would be good to receive it before I leave,” he said.