Page 7 - Customs Today Winter1984-OCR

By Harry M. Allison
National Pistol Team

shooters who would like to represent
was authorized by Commissioner
The Customs National Pistol Team Customs in national pistol team competi
von Raab in the summer of 1982 to pro tion. Customs' top 20 shooters, based on
mote firearms interest and skills among competitive scores submitted by con
Customs employees, and to enhance the tenders, are brought to Glynco for one
image of the Customs Service in the law week of intensified coaching and instruc
enforcement community. tion in competitive pistol shooting match
Once a year the Customs Service techniques. The 20 competitors, known
Academy at the Federal Law Enforce as the "Commissionex's Twenty," fire
ment Training Center in Glynco, standard National Rifle Association
Georgia, runs a master class for aspiring (NRA) courses for a five-day period.
Their aggregate score is the basis for the
National Pistol Team selection. The top
Harry M. Allison is Director of the Customs nine scorers become the Customs team
On the range at the Federal Law Enforcement Train Academy at the Federal Law Enforcement for the next year.
ing Center (FLE'TC), Glynco, Ga., are members of Training Center, Glynco, Ga. During this year's competition, held
Customs' 1983 Pistol Team. As Patrol Officer Joe this past August, Commissioner von Raab
Parker watches with binoculars, two of his teammates
was on hand to select the team and present
squeeze off rounds during the FLETC-Customs After firing stopped during the FLETC-Customs
match that followed competition to determine who match, two participants add up scores. On the left, awards to the top shooters. An informal
would be on the Customs Team. Shooting on the left is Perry DeFino, on the staff at the Center, watches as shooting competition also was held be
Special Agent Seth Nadel; on his right is Inspector Customs Patrol Officer Team member Ken Hiebert tween Customs and the Center, with a
Charles Grabbatin. pencils a score on a target. match between Commissioner von Raab
and Center Director Charles Rinkevich.
Customs' 1983 team consists of Spe
cial Agents Seth Nadel and Charles
Young, Inspectors Barlow Hill, Paul
Rawlins, Charles Grabbatin, Myles
Knight, Senior Patrol Officer J. Edward
Parker, Patrol Officer Ken Heibert and
Air Officer Kenneth Epperson.
Next year the team will compete in
approximately 10 major shooting
matches against other Federal, state and
local law enforcement officers' teams and
will represent Customs at the National
Pistol Team Championship held in Des
Moines, Iowa. This year at Des Moines,
the team came in 5th in high-master
competition, and 8th overall. Consider
ing that 83 of the Nation's top pistol
teams were competing, Customs has
moved into the top ten percent of that
prestigious group.
Customs employees are invited to
compete for slots on the "Commissioner's
Twenty" and on the team itself. To com
pete, you must be serving in a position
authorizing you to carry firearms, and
must submit at least three scores fired in
sanctioned competition within the pre-
ceeding 12 months to the Customs Service
Academy, FLETC, Glynco, Ga. 31524.
Good shooting and good luck!

CUSTOMS TODAY / WINTER 1984