Perryville Guard Soldier is top shot at regional shooting competition

By Bill Phelan
Ngmo.pao@US.ARMY.MIL

CAMP SWIFT, Texas - A Perryville Soldier, Sgt. James C. Whitener, is among the best marksman in the Missouri National Guard after winning the 2010 Marksmanship Advisory Council Region V Competition at Camp Swift, Texas.

Whitener, a heavy equipment operator with the 220th Engineer Company, based in Festus, took first place in the overall individual match results, which were recently announced.

"We shot a combination of rifles, pistols, machine guns and sniper rifles," Whitener explained. "It was a pretty extensive competition. There were eight states that participated. We shot the M-16 at 400 meters; the M-9 pistol at 35 meters; a machine gun at 10 meters and a sniper rifle at 500 meters."

In addition to winning the individual competition, Whitener was part of a four-man team from Missouri that took first place in the team competition. Whitener's teammates included Staff Sgt. James T. Phelps of the 3175th Military Police Company, based in Warrenton, Master Sgt. Benjamin L. Israel of the 139th Security Forces Squadron, based in St. Joseph, and Sgt. Ryan J. Liggett, E Company, 1-135th Attack Reconnaissance Battalion, headquartered at Whiteman Air Force Base.

Like many Soldiers, Whitener grew up learning to shoot and continues to perfect his technique.

"I grew up on a farm in Fredericktown and hunting and shooting were a part of life," he said. "But the competition is a great learning experience. Shooting is 90-percent mental and 10-percent physical so by competing at that level you build confidence by watching how others shoot and learning from them."

Phelps, who was recently awarded the U.S. Army Distinguished Pistol Shot Badge, is among Whitener's mentors and friends.

"We both celebrated our birthdays on the same weekend," Whitener said. "I've learned a lot about competition shooting from Jim, especially since this was the first year that I participated in the regionals."

For his efforts at the regional competition, Whitener received trophies for over all individual match champion, high novice, and for first place team. He has also been awarded a bronze Excellence in Competition Badge and the Adjutant General's Combat 20 Badge.

Sgt. Whitener is a 2001 graduate of Fredericktown High School.

He is the son of Denny Whitener, of Fredericktown, and Judy Foster, of Perryville.

In addition to his duties with the 220th, Whitener also works as a National Guard recruiter in Arnold.


For more information about the Missouri National Guard, please call 1-800-GoGuard or visit www.moguard.com.

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For more information about this release, please contact UPAR Bill Phelan at 314-416-1868 or cell, 314-556-5428 or e-mail bill.phelan@us.army.mil .