Ellsworth dentist claims 2014 World Military Skeet Championship title

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Hailey Staker
  • 28th Bomb Wing Public Affairs
An Airman from the 28th Medical Operations Squadron was named the World Military Champion at the 2014 World Skeet Championship while competing as a member of the Air Force skeet shooting team, Sept. 26 through Oct. 3.

While stationed at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, Capt. Andrew Thorsen, 28th MDOS general dentist, met the Air Force skeet team captain during a registered competition. Before he moved to Ellsworth in July, he received an informal invite to join the Air Force skeet team. 

"It was an honor to be asked to join the Air Force team and to represent the Air Force for skeet shooting," Thorsen said. "I started shooting two years ago and have been competitively shooting registered skeet for about a year and a half.  Joining the Air Force team has been a goal of mine since I started shooting competitively."

He explained that in order to be considered for the team, the team captain looks at the amount of competitive shooting a member has done and their success rate. Shortly after arriving at Ellsworth, he received the official invite, and had the support from his squadron leadership heading into the competition.

Thorsen and his fellow Air Force team members participated in two separate events:  the Mini and Main World Championships.

"For the main championship the 12-gauge event had 150 targets, so we went out as a team of five with a referee who pulled the targets on the field and scored us," Thorsen said. "A round of skeet consists of 25 targets shot on eight different stations with targets coming from a high house and a low house.  Each member will take their turn shooting each station, which consists of two or four targets, depending on the station." 

Members of the Air Force team competed against the Marine Corps skeet team, beating them in every event to earn the title of Five-Man World Military Champs.

"The other military teams didn't have enough people for a full team, except the Marines," Thorsen said. "It was a little disappointing not to have all the other branches competing because it would have been an even greater challenge and opportunity to demonstrate our ability and skills to compete at the highest level and hopefully beat all of them."

In addition to competing as a team against the Marines, they were also scored individually, with Thorsen winning the title of World Military Champion in the 28-gauge event.

"In the 28-gauge [event] I shot 99 out of 100 targets, and had to shoot off against my teammate to win," Thorsen said.

Having recently moved to Ellsworth, Thorsen said it was nice to see the support he received from his squadron.

"Once I was asked to be on the [Air Force skeet shooting] team, I talked to my clinic commander who supported me 100 percent, and my squadron and medical group commanders were also supportive..." Thorsen said. "I think it's important to represent the Air Force in competitions like these, to get out there and show that we are very talented, skilled, and can compete against [the] other branches."