NY Army National Guard Staff Sgt. Blake Alexander, a Yonkers resident, wins NY National Guard pistol shooting match

Camp Smith Training Site, NY (06/07/2019) — New York Army National Guard Staff Sgt. Blake Alexander, a Yonkers resident, took first place in the individual pistol competition at the New York National Guard's 2019 Adjutant Generals' Marksmanship Match held at Camp Smith Training Site from May 30th to June 2nd, 2019.

The annual marksmanship competition - known as the "TAG Match" which is short for "The Adjutant General's Match" challenges the skills of New York National Guard Soldiers and Airmen with the military's standard issue M-16 and M-4 rifles and the M-9 pistol.

Alexander, is assigned to the 1108th Ordinance Company, which is an explosive ordnance disposal company headquartered in Glenville, N.Y. He competed against eighty-eight other Soldiers and Airmen in the Sgt. Thomas Baker Individual Combat Pistol Match.

Baker was a New York National Guardsman who was awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously during World War II. He held off attacking Japanese soldiers with only his pistol so that the other members of his unit could retreat successfully.

The competition takes place in four stages and participants fire ten shots during each stage. There are two standing stages, at 30 and 25 yards, then another two scenes kneeling behind a barricade.

The annual marksmanship competition is an important event for the New York National Guard, said Major General Ray Shields, the Adjutant General of New York.

"Our Soldiers and Airmen must be able to engage an enemy with accurate small arms fire under stressful combat conditions. Every opportunity our Soldiers and Airmen get to fire their individual weapons is critical to building combat effectiveness," Shields said.

Alexander was also awarded an Army Achievement Medal by Brig. General Michel Natali, commander of the 53rd Troop Command, in recognition of his accomplishment.

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