The International Defensive Pistol Association (IDPA) and Smith & Wesson have announced that for the fifth year in a row members of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy’s Combat Arms Team will take part in the Smith & Wesson IDPA Indoor National Championship, designing two of the 12 stages and working the match as Safety Officers.
Now in its 16th consecutive year, the Smith & Wesson IDPA Indoor National Championship has grown to become one of the premier events in all the shooting sports, and marks the official start of the IDPA competition season.
The Coast Guard Academy’s role in the production of the Smith & Wesson Indoor Nationals began in 2009 when the Combat Arms Team had 18 cadets and five staff participating in the match and one of the stages was based on a Coast Guard design.
Since then the Coast Guard Academy has been a fixture at the championship and designed and run the competition’s most prominent stage located on the public range area of the Smith & Wesson Shooting Sports Center complex. The cadets have also had the privilege each year of presenting the colors at the awards banquet.
“Smith & Wesson has worked closely with collegiate shooting teams in New England and has established a strong working relationship with the Coast Guard Academy. The Academy’s Combat Arms Team has built a reputation for designing some of the most creative stages at the Indoor Nationals and their professionalism is a credit to Coast Guard. It is a great pleasure to once again welcome the cadets of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy to the Smith & Wesson Indoor Nationals,” said Joyce Wilson, executive director for IDPA.
“It’s an honor for the team to represent both the U.S. Coast Guard and the Academy while serving the shooting community. We are extremely proud of the important role the Academy’s Combat Arms Team plays in this championship and look forward to working with the staff and competitors,” said Chad Barber of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy.
“Though the Smith & Wesson Indoor Nationals kicks-off the IDPA shooting season, for those cadets that are seniors, the match represents an exciting culmination of a leadership and planning exercise that will serve them well as they prepare to dedicate their futures to the service of the Nation.”
The USCGA Combat Arms Team was formed in the early 70’s to compete against the other service academies. After 2001 the team turned its focus towards law enforcement qualifications and other competitions. As a result of their training and experience senior cadets on the team have been afforded internship opportunities during summer training periods with several of the Coast Guard’s Tactical Law Enforcement Teams (TACLET), Maritime Safety and Security Teams’s (MSST) and Maritime Security Response Team (MSRT).
The 2013 match will take place February 21-23 and is expected to draw over 300 of the best IDPA shooters to Springfield, Massachusetts to compete on the indoor ranges of the Smith & Wesson Shooting Sports Center.
Fore more information on IDPA, the 2013 Smith & Wesson Indoor National Championship or to find a club near you, visit www.IDPA.com. You can also follow @OfficialIDPA on Twitter, like ShootIDPA on Facebook, watch IDPA TV, or check out the Down Zero Blog to keep up with the latest news.