More than 60 Soldiers and Airmen tested their skills and nerves July 28–31, 2026, at Fort Carson, Colorado, during the 13th annual The Adjutant General’s Marksmanship Match.

Over 80 percent competed for their first time, facing unfamiliar, dynamic targets well beyond standard qualification ranges.

The four-day event immersed Colorado Army National Guard Citizen-Warriors in advanced marksmanship, dynamic shooting, and statewide camaraderie. Built to push service members past routine individual weapons qualification limits, the TAG Match evaluated basic shooting fundamentals alongside dynamic movement and advanced tactical scenarios.

"Individual marksmanship is kind of the foundation of unit lethality," said U.S. Army Maj. Philip Schweinsberg, event officer in charge. "It brings Soldiers from units across the state together to train in their individual marksmanship and movement techniques and take back lessons learned and best practices to apply to their home units."

Competitors navigated a range of dynamic courses of fire, including rifle and pistol matches, reflexive fire drills, barricade field-firing, and rapid transitions from primary carbines to secondary sidearms. The event culminated in team-based matches that forced shooters to engage targets under high physical exertion while simulating battlefield conditions.

The TAG Match provided a gateway to higher-level marksmanship competitions, allowing participants to compete for the coveted Governor’s Twenty, a prestigious tab worn on the uniform. Despite the high stakes, the range remained focused on mentorship. U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Derick Hubbard, an official scorer and eight-year match veteran, emphasized that building shooter confidence and capability was the main goal. While scored iterations prohibited coaching, experienced marksmen and instructors spent their downtime mentoring newer competitors.

"Getting the new shooters is a bonus to us," Hubbard said. "A lot of these shooters are coming in fresh. We go out there, and we try to help them as much as possible."

Hubbard noted that unlike standard qualification tables where Soldiers shoot a handful of stationary rounds, TAG Match competitors push through multiple complex courses of fire, expending roughly 500 rounds of rifle and pistol ammunition over four days under strict time-and-accuracy scoring factors.

That welcoming environment helped U.S. Army Pvt. Emma Kemp, an 18-year-old combat medic with 1st Battalion, 157th Infantry Regiment. Fresh from advanced individual training, Kemp volunteered after being encouraged. Reflecting on her progress midway through the match, Kemp admitted her initial experience on an advanced range was daunting.

"I came in really nervous, not knowing where to go or what to do," Kemp said. "It took a lot of confidence but today is much more calm and relaxed. I’m shooting better now."

While the match builds confidence for first-timers, experienced competitors view it as essential preparation for real-world operations. U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Alex Klaus, a guidance counselor at the Denver Military Entrance Processing Station, participating in his third TAG Match, valued swapping his desk for the firing line to sharpen his core warrior skills. For Klaus, the competitive atmosphere forces every shooter to elevate their standards before deploying or stepping into tactical environments.

"Iron sharpens iron," Klaus said. "By getting Soldiers out here in dynamic environments, different types of shooting positions and distances, it is going to greatly increase the capacity for lethality for each individual. With the level of competition you see out here, you learn from them and you're only going to get better."