LITTLE ROCK AIR FORCE BASE, Ark. -- Victor. Winner. Champion. Titles held by Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas’, very own U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Jarrett Newman, 19th Security Forces Squadron combat arms instructor.
Newman achieved the highest score at an Excellence in Competition event for the M-4 carbine with a score of 467 out of 500, while stationed at Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico in 2018.
The EIC is a four-position firing competition: standing unsupported, kneeling unsupported, sitting unsupported, and prone unsupported. A free EIC event was held Jan. 28-30. Newman placed first out of over 200 participants during an EIC M-4 carbine shooting event last year and is now able to wear the EIC rifleman badge on his service coat.
“Going into it I wasn’t thinking I’d be the top competitor,” Newman said. “I was hoping I’d just make top ten. I was almost out-shot by another Airman who I believe was from civil engineering, so that shows you that anyone can do it.”
With Newman’s accomplishment he won’t be able to compete in this year’s competition for points, so he will be judging and managing the event.
“Being able to teach people how to properly handle and fire the weapon means a lot to me,” Newman said. “My other fellow combat arms instructors will be competing, so it’s a good way for someone to see if they have the fundamentals to beat them. This competition allows anyone who’s won to go on to further compete in shooting competitions.”
Attaining the EIC pistol badge or a higher grade in the rifleman badge is possible, but it can be a bit harder to find competitions. Luckily the combat arms flight is here to help.
“Each match after the elementary level is unique in its own way,” said Staff Sgt. Jared Thomas, 19th SFS combat arms instructor. “Once the participants earn the elementary badge, they’ll have to enter independent matches outside of the Air Force. The combat arms flight is always helpful in finding these matches for anyone interested.”
Newman felt as though his fellow Airmen played a large role in his success during the EIC.
“We’re all a family, and we wouldn’t have these competitions if it wasn’t for everybody else contributing,” Newman said. “It was awesome when I won the EIC badge, but I wouldn’t have made it if I didn’t have my leadership encouraging me.”