The Army Dragon Boat Team's trade secrets

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Team Army paddlers raise their paddles after capturing its second gold medal in the 1st Davao City Dragon Boat Festival that was held in Queensland Baywalk on May 2-3, 2014. The team also bagged the Overall Championship in the Men's Events of the said competition.

A lot of people including our foreign friends had been asking why Filipinos had emerged as among the strongest paddlers in the world. Due to our country's past accomplishments (including the world record in 200m Men's Open, Standard Boat), we have gained the respect and admiration of our fellow sportsmen in the international sports arena. 

As Mike Haslam, the IDBF President said in August 2011: "The World Dragon Boat Championships is like the World Cup in Football without Team Brazil".  

Having eight veterans of the World Championships in our crew, we have the edge over all other local club teams. Of course, our main asset is the high level of military discipline that we strongly adhere in our daily lives. Using the same discipline that we learned as the 'boys from the barracks', we built the team based on the concepts of unit integrity, unity of command and positive mental attitude. 

To reach this level of performance, our athletes paddle for 2-3 hours each day, spend another 2-3 hours running and working out in the gym.

The soldiers' positive attitude towards the sport is exemplary. With or without extra food provisions, they religiously follow the training schedule to earn the slot during competitions. Ayaw nilang maging pasahero lamang. Since there are 28 athletes in our club, we have to design a strict selection process that is transparent. Matira ang matibay at positibo ang pag-iisip!

Also, everyone knows each other including their respective family members, making them the best of friends. Some are neighbors, relatives and kumpares. Moreover, they know each other's strengths and weaknesses. They complement each other in the boat.

It is therefore common sense that when our soldiers are mixed with 'outsiders' to form another team, there will always be problems that would lead to failures. Does it make sense? 

Davao adventures

Despite all odds, we made it to Davao City for the first ever dragon boat competition that was scheduled from May 2-3, 2014. 

We were excited to see action and showcase our team as the undisputed king of the Men's events of this rapidly growing sport, having dominated the national regatta in the past 3 years.  

To attain our goal of capturing all three gold medals that are at stake in Men's events, the team spent several weeks harnessing its paddling skills, improving  both speed and synchronization.

Learning that the strong teams from Camsur wouldn't make it to Davao, we were saddened. The Bicolano fishermen-paddlers had given us a stiff competition last year. They had proven that they can beat us when we relax too much. We sometimes ignored the teachings Suntzu.

Anyway, the newly formed Philippine Air Force Dragon Boat Team has gradually risen to challenge our team. They are in high spirits after outracing the Philippine Coast Guard team during the most recent competition in Manila. However, our morale and our level of competitiveness is a notch higher due to our extensive preparation and 'combat experience'. 

Our bonus was that almost everyone agreed that the Army is the team to beat in the Men's events. There was a joke among our friends from competing teams that 'only a miracle' can lead to the defeat of Team Army.

Despite of that psychological edge, I always required the team to do its best and beat their own records  regardless who our opponents are. 

The 'miracle'

In the 2,000m event, there were two 'heats' (releases). The rule was that the team with the fastest time record wins the race.

Our main competitor, Team Air Force, was part of the first heat. We closely monitored their time. In our unofficial clock record, it took them 8 mins, 2 secs to clear the finish line. The official time record according to the time keeper was 7 mins, 5 secs. 

In the second heat, we logged 8 mins as our unofficial time record. The time keeper's official time was 7 mins 53 secs. We 'lost' to Team PAF by 48 seconds or approximately 300m distance difference!

We filed an official protest because we believed there was something wrong about the time records. Who knows there was a possible human error in recording of the time?

We just used common sense in our computations such as follows:

• The best time for the Premiere Open Standard, 2,000m event during the World Championships is 7:48.920 as shown. If Team Air Force's best time in 200m is 50.86 secs (equivalent to 508.6 secs in 2,000m), then it is not statistically possible that it can finish 425 secs (7.05secs) in 2000m!

The table above shows the official result of the Grand Finals of the 2,000m Premiere Open event during the World Championships in 2013. 

• If indeed, the team finished the 2,000m at 7mins, 5secs (425secs), then their average time every 200m is 42.5secs. This is not possible because the boat has to take a turn every lap, therefore, it has to slow down. Common sense also dictates that you can log 42-45 secs only if you paddle in the sprints like the 200 m event. 

Well, our protest was not considered because the officials strongly believed that the Timekeeper's record was correct. Sadly, there was no video to disprove our claim about the perceived error. As a result, our country has logged perhaps one of the world's fastest record (if not the fastest time) in 2,000m event, Standard Boat. Miracle? Maybe. What you think?

We may be frustrated but we accepted the result like real sportsmen. No more blame game. Our lesson? Record a video in events such as the 2,000m.

Because of our loss, our team became more motivated to get even in the last two events (200m and 400m). 

We tried our best to surpass our fastest record time (41.27secs) logged in 200m Standard Boat during the race in Bohol a year ago. 

When it was time to prove our worth in the sprints, the team was determined to capture the gold. 

Unlike in the 2,000m event, the winner is obvious this time. We logged 42.51 secs against Team Air Force's 50.86 secs.

The video shows the action-packed 200m grand finals wherein Team Army showcased its awesome power in the sprints by clocking 42.51 seconds against Team PAF's 50.86 secs.

The PDBF Elite Team, composed of mixed civilians and military personnel, clocked 45.660 seconds during the World Championships in 2013.

In the 400m, we captured our second gold, ensuring our team's place as the Overall Champion in the Men's Events. Our brothers from the Team Air Force gave us a good fight and we are proud of them too! 

Vindicated after our loss in the 2,000m event, we became more motivated to pursue our dream of conquering the World Championships come September 2014. 

Heroes Run 2013: Running for fun with my son

Simula noong taong 2012, ginawa ko nang taunang tradisyon ang pagsali sa Heroes Run na inoorganisa ng Army Chapter ng Philippine Military Academy Alumni Association Incorporated.

Maraming dahilan kung bakit nakikitakbo ako rito. Hindi ito kagaya sa iba na maaaring 'trip-trip' lang ang makikigulo kasama ang barkada. 

Natatandaan ko noong ako ay tenyente pa noong mid-90s, mga Scout Rangers lang ang mga adik sa takbuhan at nagti-trip na sumali sa mga 42 kilometrong events. Ngayon, naging uso na sa publiko.

Una, ito ang bonding time namin ng aking nag-iisang anak na hindi naman talaga nakahiligan ang tumakbo. Nahawa ko sya sa larangan ng pagtudla at nahihila ko rin pa-minsan sa pagsagwan sa Dragon Boat, ngunit di nya 'type' ang takbuhan. 

Dahil sa kanyang personal goal na pumayat simula sa 1st quarter ng taong ito, madali ko syang nahikayat na sumali para maipagpatuloy ang kanyang weight loss program, habang nakatulong pa sa mga bayani ng bayan, ang mga sundalo. 

Fun run

Para hindi sya mabigla sa takbuhan, pinasya naming sa layong 3-kilometro ang aming salihan. Ito ang pinakamalapit na kategorya at dito sumasali ang may bitbit na mga tsikiting na sinasanay na ng kanilang mga magulang sa larangan ng  pagtakbo. Sabi ko, keep smiling at enjoy lang kaya nga fun run!

Dahil 5:30am ang 'gun start' ng aming kategorya, maaga kaming gumising para umabot sa start line isang oras bago ang takbo. Mas maigi kasing makapag-stretching nang mabuti at makahalubilo na rin sa mga kalahok nito.

Halos parehas ang dami ng mga runners na lumahok kagaya noong taong 2012 na kung saan ay humigit kumulang sa 4,600 ka tao ang sumuporta sa patakbo. 

Pati ang mascot ng Cherifer Premium na isa sa mga proud sponsors, ay nakikigulo rin sa starting line bilang suporta.

Merong mga sibilyan, kadete ng PMA, kadete ng Officer Candidate School, mga sundalo, reservists,  mga estudyante at maging mga pulis. Merong Private, Generals at maging ROTC cadets.

Kasamang tumakbo si Major General Bennie De Leon, ang punong heneral ng Training and Doctrines Command ng Philippine Army at ang kanyang binatilyong anak.

Marami rin akong nakitang 'all in the family' na mga runners at nakakatuwa silang panoorin kasi bonding time talaga ang takbuhan para sa buong pamilya. 

Ang aking mistah na si Lt Col Erick Sales ay kasamang tumatakbo ang kanyang misis na si Jopie at ang kambal na mga anak na sina RD1 at RD2.

Meron ding mga mag-asawa na seryosohang 21 kilometro ang nilalahukan. Kakaibang pagmamahalan di ba?

Ang aking foster brother at PMA upperclassman na si Lt Col Dick Balaba at ang kanyang lovely wife na si Candy ay parehas na tumatakbo ng 21k. Suki sila sa mga marathon at maging sa Iron Man 90.3.

Samantala, meron ding iba na sinasama ang maliliit na anak pati ang nasa stroller pa! Nakatakbo na, nakapag-alaga pa ng paslit!

Tunay na family bonding ang ginawa ng mag-asawa dahil isinama nila sa pagtakbo ang kanilang sanggol. Starting them young, ika nga.

Sa starting line, halos lahat na lang gusto sa harapan. Bakit kaya? Actually, hindi para makalamang sa oras kundi para makaisa sa selfie photos at sa pang FB na shots gaya nito. Oh, di ba?

Pati mga hi-tech na gadgets at mga Smartphone apps ay kinakalikot tuwing merong takbuhan na ganito. Merong nagmomonitor ng speed at time, at meron ding nagbibilang kung ilang hakbang ang nagawa at kung ilang calories ang nasunog. 

Kanya-kanya ring pa-pormahan at pagandahan ng suot na running shoes, jersey at kung anu-anong tarakitos na ikinakabit sa katawan para maipakitang 'serious runners' at 'cool' sila sila. Teka, me hingal kabayo don ah. 

Sa unang kilometro pa lang ng aming takbo, nagpakitang gilas na si Harvey sa akin. Dahil pumapayat na sya, medyo mabilis naman ang kanyang arangkada. Pinakikitaan ako sa kanyang kakayahan.

Nang umabot na kami ng 2 kilometro at meron nang akyatan, tila ay buong mundo na ang binubuhat nya. Nakalimutan ang itinuturo kong Positive Mental Attitude.

Dahil gusto na nyang maglakad, kailangan kong ipaalala sa kanya na ang mga tunay na lalaki ay dapat hindi mahuhuli sa mga maliliit na nasa aming tabi-tabi! Nang nalingon nya ang nasa aming tagiliran, bumalik ang kanyang kakisigan!

Sa wakas, narating naming muli ang finish line! Parang 'wala lang' kaya inaambisyon naming sa 5 kilometro na dapat ang susunod na sasalihan. 

Ayan, sa aming pagtakbo sa Heroes Run 2013,  nakasuporta na kami sa mga bayaning sundalo at sa mga biktima ng bagyong si Yolanda!

(Photos by Cpl Marlon San Esteban and Pfc Rolly Bernal)

Philippine Army Dragon Boat Team: Another 'anting-anting' story

The 2nd leg of the Cobra-PDBF Dragon Boat Regatta was also a highly anticipated rematch between Team Army and the Lake Buhi paddlers.

This is the video footage of the 300-meters Men's Open Finals during which we competed against two strong teams from Lake Buhi.

The Army was in the lead except in the 200m mark where it executed 'Power Long' to regain its perfect synchronization.

I had to dash up to the finish line in order to capture the image there. I was relieved to see that we were ahead by at least 'three men' on the boat. 

After dominating the Bohol sprints against the formidable Navy elite team and Team Buhi, we can now proudly declare that the Cherifer Premium powered Team Army is the King of Sprints in the Philippines. 

Lucky charms and amulets

Aside from the grueling hours of practices, the Army has found a way to counter the 'amulets' used by Team Buhi who have emerged as its strongest challenger. 

In the past races that they won against my team, we noticed that these dark-skinned, lean but strong paddlers were performing rituals before embarking on their boats. 

Some had red bandannas, mysterious looking necklaces and bandoleer-like 'anting-anting' worn as belts. 

Believing that these amulets might have contributed to our earlier losses, some team members consulted some 'shamans' and 'albularyo' on how to devise our own countermeasures. 

"Bring a live ammunition," said one firm believer of anting-anting. 

"Carry this garlic in your pocket," came the suggestion of another old man. 

"Let's pray wholeheartedly, that would probably ward-off bad spirits," said one devout Catholic member. 

"We had devoted more time in practice  and we have also prayed fervently all the time" I said, adding that "there is no harm in carrying counter-amulets". 

So all team members brought their garlic chips and 5.56mm ammunition borrowed from our security escort. 

My paddlers became more confident because they had the right formula against Team Buhi: adequate preparation, discipline, prayers and counter-amulets!

We won convincingly against our challengers who ended up scratching their heads in frustration. The Army has regained its lost glory!

Let's go Macau!

Having shown that we are the force to reckon with, my team is back to its back-aching daily practices in the murky waters of Manila bay. 

The team is eyeing for the championship in the upcoming 2013 Macau International Dragon Boat Races that will be held in Nam Van Lake, Macau, China from 10-13 June 2013. 

Armed with our back-to-back wins in Bohol and Manila Bay, our team is now ready to confront foreign competitors again. 

Mr Tom Meneses of Intermed Philippines is the man behind the Army's foreign Dragon Boat races. His company has provided both financial support for the team aside from the endless Cherifer Premium vitamins for our athletes. 

"I believe in the fighting spirit and winning attitude of the Philippine Army Dragon Boat Team. I am proud that Cherifer Premium has contributed to its remarkable successes in this sport," said Meneses.

Now that no less than Army chief Lt General Noel Coballes has approved our travel, our friends from around the world will meet a fierce rival in the 500m Men's Open Event come June 12, 2013. 

The fastest boat crew in the Philippines: The battle of the Champions

It was in 2007 when the Philippines gained its prominence in the Dragon Boat community when the the national squad broke the 42-second IDBF World Record in Dragon Boat racing's 200-meter Standard Premiere Open category.

The country's National Team further cemented its status as the 'Fastest boat crew in the world' when it shattered its own previous record and set the still unbroken 40.022 second mark during the 9th IDBF World Dragon Boat Racing Championships in Prague, Czech Republic in 2009.

When the Pinoy paddlers finished with a back-to-back win in the 200-meter event, it drew some speculations. Because of their splendid performance, some detractors accused the Filipino athletes of doping.  For a cash-strapped sports team, it was a joke! 

Unknown to many, these world-renown paddlers were soldiers who were assigned to the Philippine Sports Commission by virtue of a Memorandum of Agreement between the PSC and the Department of National Defense.

Their secret was their positive mental attitude coupled with their outstanding self-discipline. In a race where 'every soldier counts', it was their strong comradeship that also matters. One boat, one direction. 

The 'Great Divide'

It was therefore a very unfortunate incident when internal squabbles (and bad politics in sports) led to the split of the Philippine Dragon Boat community into half in 2010. Whoa, it also happened in politics that led the split of countries like Sudan, India and Cyprus!

It was after this 'great divide' that some of the members of the 'Fastest boat crew in the world' returned to their respective home teams. 

Most of the Navy paddlers remained with the newly created Philippine Canoe-Kayak Federation (PCKF) except one who opted to report back to the naval headquarters. 

The other paddlers from the Philippine Coast Guard and the Philippine Air Force came back to their respective units, hoping to form their own Dragon Boat teams.

Meanwhile, seven of the Army paddlers opted to remain loyal with the Philippine Dragon Boat Federation (PDBF), the organization that is recognized by the IDBF as the authority of Dragon Boat races in the country. Well, the PCKF also claims to be the legitimate authority.

The Army veteran paddlers rejoined the newly formed Philippine Army Dragon Boat Team  gradually gaining its status as the strongest contender in the local races. Kung minsang magmintis, sila ay 2nd place. 

Interestingly, those who lost their lofty status as 'National Team' members were often referred to as the 'Ex-Nationals' which sometimes come with negative connotations. This name-calling has motivated the Army paddlers to further hone their skills and strive for betterment. 

And still, the 'Fastest Boat Crew'

During the 10th IDBF World Dragon Boat racing championships in 2011, the so-called 'ex-Nationals' rallied together behind the PDBF to form a small contingent that will compete in the Small Boat Events held in Tampa, Florida.

Calling themselves the Pinoy Dragon Warriors, the newly-formed crew was composed of soldiers from the Army (7 paddlers), Coast Guard (3), Navy (1) and the Air Force (2). The rest of the team members were civilians.

There were only 12 male Paddlers, a Steersman, a female Drummer and 5 female Paddlers limiting their participation to the Premiere Open events and the Mixed Events.

Despite the lack of resources and the big obstacles along the way, the team trained hard in preparation to the big day.

As we later knew it, the team made headlines when it captured 5 Golds and 2 Silver Medals during the  World Championships which was dubbed as the Olympics of dragon boating.

Pinoy friends cheering for the Dragon Warriors in the background during the 10th IDBF World Championships in Tampa, Florida, USA.

The team also set the fastest time records in 5 events that they participated.

To the spectators around the world and even prominent sports officials, Team Philippines was indeed the best.

"The Filipinos are indeed the fastest boat crew in the world," said IDBF President Mike Haslam in a statement.

The Big Question: Which is the stronger Team?

If there were hundreds of thousands of people who cheered for the team worldwide, critics who refused to recognize that extraordinary feat made some irritating noise.

"Their opponents were weaklings," said one remark posted on s Dragon Boat Facebook page.

"Ampao ang mga iyan," came another sarcastic remark from a sports official that became viral in the social media. He later explained his side when he received hundreds of 'hate messages' from adoring Filipinos who supported the 'underdog' team.

When the so-called 'ex-Nationals started playing for their home teams, some of the Navy-dominated PCKF athletes claimed that the strongest paddlers are with them. 

For us in the military, 'self-admiration' is quite normal. We are trained to be proud of our respective organizations and even down to the smallest unit. 

When you enter the Marine Barracks, you must not be surprised to hear soldiers say, "The Marines is the best!"

Normally, when you are in lair of the Scout Rangers in Camp Tecson, expect to hear: "The Scout Rangers are the elite and the best special operators in the country!".

Anyway, let's take a look why the Navy is taking pride of its own achievements. 

They won more than 10 Championship Trophies in the PCKF-administered races since 2011; and, they were also part of the International Canoe Federation version of the World Dragon Boat Championships in Italy during which the Philippine Team brought home several gold medals which made our country proud as well. 

Meanwhile, the Army has dominated the local Dragon Boat Regattas ran by the PDBF. It had also captured Gold Medals during its first two forays abroad (Malaysia and Indonesia). 

It was only in 2013 when the Army met some challenge from a rising Bicol Dragon, the Team Lake Buhi which had outraced both the Navy and the Army in the past. Look at that! Nasipa ang astig at maskuladong paddlers ng Army at Navy?

Staying humble, we merely waited for the time that the two strongest teams will cross paths again in the same race site, and probably displaying its class in trying to out-paddle the strong challenger, Lake Buhi. 

Well, we all knew that the matter could only be settled through an actual race. I was really waiting for the time that the Army and the Navy will come loggerheads in an actual race. Magkakaalaman na talaga.

War of the Dragons: The Dream Match

It took only one man to stage the much-awaited 'Dream Match' in the island of Bohol. No, he was neither Bob Arum nor Oscar "The Golden Boy" Dela Hoya.

Our unexpected match-maker was Major General Charly Holganza, a retired officer of the Armed Forces of the Philippines who once headed the National Development Support Command. He was the lead organizer of the first ever Cobra-PDBF International Dragon Boat Festival in Bohol.

Aside from luring more tourists for his beloved province, Sir Charly was more than eager to see the 'Battle of the Champions' right in turf once lorded by Dagohoy. 

Through his connections in the military bureaucracy, he was able to bring together four of the top performing teams in the country today (Army, Navy, Coast Guard and Team Lake Buhi). Clap! Clap! Clap!

Along with the other contenders, these 'Top Seeded Teams' came to Bohol eyeing for the Gold in the various events. 

There were 9 Championship Trophies for each separate events including the Standard Boat event (2,000m/500m/200m), 200m Small Boat event. There were separate races for the 'Open' category and the 'Mixed' (mixed men and women crew) category. 

Because we didn't have female paddlers this time, we participated only in the Standard Boat events such as the 2,000m, 500m, 200m.  Smart Communications, one of the corporate sponsors also staged a special event called Smart Live More 200m Small Boat Open.

It was a three-way grab for the Gold Medals by the Philippine Coast Guard, Team Lake Buhi and Triton in the Mixed Events.

The following are the final results of the events that Team Army participated:

a. Smart Live More 200m Small Boat Open (10 paddlers)

     1. Army – 50.36secs
     2. Navy – 50.63secs
     3. Lake Buhi – 51.87 secs

*** Team Army and Team Navy fielded their strongest athletes  who used to paddle together as part of the National Team before the break-up in 2010. It was the true 'Battle of the Champions'. 

b. 200m Standard Open

    1. Army – 41.27secs
    2. Lake Buhi – 43.32 secs
    3. Navy – 44.37 secs
    4. Bohol Paddlers – 54.06secs

c. 2,000m Standard Boat Open
    

    1. Lake Buhi – 9:13.48

    2. Army – 9:33.11

    3. Navy – 9:48.81

    4. Onslaught – 10:03.07

**We questioned the erroneous time records in this particular event. To learn about this, please click this link http://rangercabunzky.blogspot.com/2013/04/team-army-was-outraced-by-pdbf.html

d.  500m Standard Open

     1. Team Buhi--1min, 56.42secs

     2. Army--1min,57.26secs

     3. Coast Guard-1 min, 57.90 secs

**The Army posted the fastest time of 1:55.78 against 1:56.45 of Team Buhi and the Navy's 1:57.04 during the semi-final heat

What was our score then? It was 2 Golds-2 Silvers in the four events that we participated. Not bad, huh?

 
This is the video presentation of our team's performance. I took the footage that was taken by my Go Pro Camera that was worn by the Drummer and also my own video that was taken from the pavilion. (I could not use the low-visibility video of the 200m finals which was culminated at around 6pm)

Conclusion

The Army paddlers had proven to be the men to watch in the local Dragon Boat races. 

They ruled the 200m sprint events in a similar fashion when they were part of the National Team and the Pinoy Dragon Warriors.

Based on the results and the video footage in the finish line (aside from the testimonies of the spectators), we achieved our ultimate aim: Beat Navy! Sorry brothers, better luck next time!

We are proud to have the strongest Dragon Boat paddlers and the bragging rights as the 'Fastest Boat Crew in the Philippines"

But, what will make us prouder? 

We must be happier if we can bring back these finest paddlers in the same boat against a common adversary during the future Olympics that will include Dragon Boat races! 

Let me say it is a dream. Well, some dreams come true anyway. 

Let's wait and see. 

Go Army! Salute!

Go Philippines!

Army shooters dominate the 'Games of the Generals'

SNIPER MATCH. Army Chief Lt Gen. Emmanuel Bautista fires the 7.62mm M24 Sniper Weapon System during the Games of the Generals 'Ultimate Shooting Challenge' held in the AARM Integrated Firing Ranges, Capas, Tarlac on June 16, 2012 (Saturday). Seventy shooters from various armed services participated in the Army's version of the event. (Photo by Pfc Marlon San Esteban)

CAMP O'DONNELL, CAPAS, Tarlac---The Army shooting team composed of senior officers dominated all the events during the 'Games of the Generals' shooting competition held here last Saturday, June 16.

The Army marksmen displayed its superb performance in all of the events by grabbing championship trophies in all events including the categories in Rifle, Pistol and Sniper matches.

Brig Gen. Ricardo Rainier Cruz, a veteran international shooter, topped the Pistol events with 233.024pts. He was trailed by Air Force Brig. Gen. Romeo Poquiz (220.018pts) and EASTMINCOM Chief Lt Gen Jorge Segovia (218.010 pts).

In the Rifle events, 7th Infantry Division Chief Alan Luga showed his excellence in mid-range marksmanship with the M16A2 Rifle (Iron sight category) by grabbing the championship trophy and gold medal with 93 secs.  Two Army men trailed Luga: Lt Gen Roland Detabali (119.09 secs) and Col Gregorio Catapang (119.10 secs).

Detabali also lorded the Scoped Rifle category with 124.52 secs followed by Col Ubando of the Presidential Security Group with 267.45secs. The organizers used the modified IDPA scoring format for the rifle events.

In the Sniper match, 2nd Infantry Division deputy chief Brig Gen Nestor Anonuevo was the run-away winner with 136.07pts. He was followed by Col Henry Sabarre (134pts) and PSG Commander Brig Gen Ramon Mateo Dizon (133pts).

In the Pistol Team category, the Army grabbed the championship trophy followed by PNP shooting team (2nd place) and  PAF shooting team (3rd).

In the Rifle Team category, the Army Team B (BGen Luga, BGen De Leon,Col Catapang, Col Sabarre) took home the championship trophy followed by Army team A (Lt Gen Bautista, Lt Gen Detabali, Lt Gen Segovia, BGen Cruz) and the PSG team (Col Ubando, Cpt Bernarde, Usec Dimaculangan).

The Pistol match was patterned to the Army's Combat Pistol Qualification Course which uses military type silhouette targets to be engaged with 50 rounds from distances of 5m, 10m, 15m, 25m and 50m. The challenging match requires shooters to shoot from standing, kneeling and prone positions under time pressure.

President Benigno S Aquino III, the leader of the PSG shooting team, was among the 37 shooters who qualified as Experts. Twenty two shooters emerged as Sharpshooters while 11 were Marksmen.

Heavy rains that started later in the afternoon did not hamper the matches. Rain-soaked shooters opted to continue the exciting matches which ended at around 5:30pm.

 

Army Shooting Team Won Medals in Australia

SHOOTING DOWN UNDER. Members of the Army's Shooting Team pose for a souvenir photo during the 2012 Australian Army Skill At Arms Meeting held in Puckapunyal Military Area, Victoria last week. (MTU Photo)

FORT BONIFACIO, Taguig City – The Army Shooting Team won international recognition in the recently concluded Australian Army Skills-at-Arms Meeting (AASAM) held at Puckapunyal Military Area in Victoria, Australia from May 01-21, 2012.

Lt Col Ricky Bunayog, the Commanding Officer of the Army's Marksmanship Training Unit, said that  the team brought home  2 Golds, 4 Silvers and 9 Bronze medals.

Composed of veteran shooters of the Army, the Philippine team emerged number seven among the 16 participating countries in this year’s competition.

Major Harold Cabunoc, Army spokesperson said that it is another pride not only to the Army but also to the entire country.

“The team’s victory is another concrete manifestation of your Army’s high level of excellence in the field of marksmanship. Our team has consistently brought home lasting honor for the country in the past decade,” he said.

The AASAM which started in 1984 at North Queensland Australia is an annual event open to international competitors. It is designed to enhance Army operational capability by means of a rigorous, challenging and combat focused skill at arms competition.

Several teams including ASEAN members, Japan, US Army and Marines, United Kingdom, New Zealand, Canada, French Forces New Caledonia join Australian competitors marking a participation increase this year.

The Philippine Army Shooting Team started joining the competition in 2005 which was held in New South Wales.

The Army shooters who battled in the two-week combat marksmanship shooting match include Staff Sgt. Jesustino B Agod, Staff Sgt. Armando G Mejia, Staff Sgt. Rudy M Edas, Staff Sgt. Alan G Lao, Staff Sgt Willard B Carrera, Staff Sgt. Jovemar M Rapsing, Cpl. Rodney L Rizano, Cpl. Angelo E Bonagua, Pfc. Jumar B Cenas, Pfc. Hader D Hammara and Pfc. Rosalito A Collado.

Accompanying Bunayog who served as Contingent Commander, are  Maj. Amelito G Baa, Maj. Charlie C Banaag, who both served as support staff members.

The team’s past victories in AASAM include the bagging of  2 golds, 1 silver and a bronze medal in 2005 and  2 Golds and 4 Silver medals in 2009. 

Its best performance was in 2010 garnering  eight Golds, 11 Silvers and one Bronze medal. In the same year they have recorded the fastest time in the obstacle course race marking the fastest ever in the entire AASAM history. Their feat was capped by bringing home the Perpetual Trophy for the Rifle Falling Plates match.

The team has added a new addition to its growing number of awards by bringing home the Meggit International Trophy for the Battle Simulation match this year.

Similarly, collecting Gold medals becomes the team’s habit in other national as well as international shooting competitions hosted by foreign countries such as China and Australia.

The team is expected to present their medals to Army Chief Lt Gen Emmanuel T Bautista who is happy about the new accomplishment of the shooting team.

Bautista himself is a shooting enthusiast. He leads the Army shooting team in the quarterly Games of the Generals that is participated by star-rank officers from the Philippine Army, Philippine Navy, Philippine Air Force, Philippine National Police and the Philippine Coast Guard.

Aside from shooting competitions, the Army Shooting Team is also actively involved in implementing various marksmanship training program in the different Army units all throughout the archipelago.

An Army shooter inspects a foxhole shooting position prior to the start of the shooting match that simulates combat situation. Electronic targets are laid down  the field at varied distances (100m-400m).  (MTU Photo)

Shooters count their hits on the silhouette targets which were mounted on electronic target system called DART (Disappearing Automatic Retaliatory Target).

SHOOTING FRIENDS. Philippine Army shooters pose for a photo with the contingent of shooters from Japan.

 2005 AASAM Photos

The Army sent its first shooting contingent to AASAM in October 2005. I participated as a shooter, firing both a scoped M16A2 Rifle and M1911A1 Pistol. Two of the original members of this contingent, SSg Rudy Edas (seated, 2nd from left), and Cpl Rodney Rizano (standing, 2nd from right), are members of the 2012 AASAM Team.

This is my photo during the International Practice match, a very challenging match simulating combat scenarios in the field. My Mindanao battle experiences made the difference here.

Carrying a combat load weighing around 7.5kgs, I engaged man-sized targets with my pistol out to 50-meters. Certainly, this shooting match is very challenging and very much applicable in our field situations. That is why, we recommended that the Army Shooting Team be allowed to compete here every two years.

BROTHERS IN ARMS. International shooting competitions are our opportunities to win friends around the globe. This is the reason why friendly shooting matches among various Armed Forces must be continued.