The Frozen Chosen 2014
Photos & Story submitted by Staff Sgt Ronald Cohen, 286th Combat Support Sustainment Brigade
On January 1, 2014 the
United States Practical
Shooting Association (USPSA)
organized a small arms pistol
competition at the Hampden
Hampden, Maine.
In attendance were 40
shooters consisting of 31
civilians and 9 members of
the Maine National Guard
Marksmanship Team.
The “Frozen Chosen”
competition began
shortly after 10 a.m. with
temperatures well below
freezing. There were four
outside and one set up inside
the club house. The ground
was covered with ice and
targets somehow maintaining
perfect gun control and
making it look intentional.
the ice in order to set up the
The round count varied stage-
to-stage depending on the
number of targets. All stages
were “Comstock” meaning the
shooter was allowed to take
as many shots as necessary
to score a maximum number
of points, but only the best
two shots count.
stage took down at least one
of the shooters. He slipped
while moving and engaging
Of course, the key is accuracy
and speed in this type of
competition. There were
to navigate the terrain
outside.
Some of the stages required
targets placed out in the
open, behind cover, swinging
on a pendulum, and even
behind no-shoot targets
(hostages).
The stages that were set up
outside required the shooter
a square box approximately
2’x2’ and engage the targets
as they became visible.
Inside, the stage required the
shooter to start in one box
and run approximately 20’ to
another box while engaging
targets as they became
visible.
All but one member of the
MENG Marksmanship team
competed in the production
minor category, based on a
formula that takes the weight
of the bullet and velocity into
consideration and establishes
a power factor used in
scoring.
team was able to capture
4-5 of the top 10 positions
for the production division
with Sgt. 1st Class Joshua
Holmes and Staff Sgt. Kyle
Bartman taking 1st and
3rd respectively. The MENG
twenty overall, Holmes taking
4th, Bartman 7th, Spec. Max
Nickerson 16th, Master Sgt.
Brent Porter 18th, and Sgt.
Nicholas Girardin 19th.
Other members of the team
participating in this event
included Staff Sgt. Keith
Paul, Staff Sgt. Ronald Cohen,
Staff Sgt. Phillip Dow, and
Spec. Eric Sanborn.