Air Force marksman keeps cadets on target

  • Published
  • By Ray Bowden
  • U.S. Air Force Academy Public Affairs
U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. --  A former cadet visited the Air Force Academy to better prepare its Combat Shooting Team for the U.S. Practical Shooting Association competition, Dec. 6 in Aurora, Colo.

The USPSA is the largest competitive pistol shooting organization in the U.S., said 1st Lt. Dalton Bridgers, a member of the Air Force Shooting Team.

"It's a fast-paced shooting sport emphasizing speed and accuracy on targets," he said. "The Academy team hadn't competed in this event and I wanted to give them the best introduction I could."

Bridgers ran the CST through eight hours of shooting drills at the Academy's firing range Dec. 5.

"He would demonstrate each drill at his speed -- close to double what the fastest shooter could do," said the cadet in charge of the Combat Shooting Team, Cadet 2nd Class Jonathan Cooper.

The Academy's CST focuses on combat and tactical shooting skills, Bridgers said.

"The cadets on the CST are relatively experienced shooters, so part of my job was to show them how to apply their current skills in the context of competitive shooting, as well as improve their current skill level," he said.

Bridgers said the goal for cadets was to safely compete, represent the Academy in a positive way, and learn as much as they could. In all, 11 cadets took part in the competition, taking the No. 32, No. 36 and No. 42 slots out of 62 shooters at the competition.

"The fact we were the middle of the pack, even though it was our very first competition [of the type], speaks volumes about the legitimacy and value of the training we received," Cooper said. 

A side-benefit of the USPSA event is that cadets were able to meet and chat with civilian shooters.

"These matches provide an awesome opportunity for cadets to interact with civilian shooters in a way that benefits all involved," Bridgers said. "Shooting is something they do all the time so they are very knowledgeable about it."

Bridgers is also on the Air Force Action Shooting Team, comprised of active duty Airmen.

"We represent the Air Force at all levels of action shooting competitions, including USPSA and '3-Gun' - pistol, rifle and shotgun," he said. "Our participation in these events is done in our spare time. Competitive shooting offers an outstanding outlet for military members to improve their skills. We practice for and participate in these events constantly."

Bridgers is assigned to Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico. As a cadet, he was assigned to Cadet Squadron 34.