United States Marines Compete in the Marine Corps Marksmanship Competition at Quantico April 2026

In April 2026, the Marine Corps Championships, the pinnacle of the fiscal year 2026 Competition-In-Arms Program (CIAP) took place at Marine Corps Base (MCB) Quantico, Virginia. This event brought together the top 10% of shooters from regional competitions held earlier in the year across Camp Lejeune, Camp Pendleton, Hawaii, and Okinawa.

Dates: April 13 – 24, 2026.
Host Unit: Weapons Training Battalion (WTBn) Quantico and the Marine Corps Shooting Team (MCST).
New for 2026: For the first time, the competition integrated drone simulation events, requiring Marines to engage moving and aerial targets, reflecting the modern evolution of the "Every Marine a Rifleman" doctrine.

Core Disciplines: Competitors utilized the M16A4 rifle, M18 pistol, and specialized combat match rifles in day and night courses of fire, including precision rifle and multi-gun matches.

Top Individual Performers
Lauchheimer Trophy (Overall Winner) Sgt. Tanner Wright, Primary Marksmanship Instructor, WTBn
Second Place: Sgt. Jonathan Galloway, Marksmanship Instructor, MCST
Third Place: Staff Sgt. Christian Cachola, Communication Strategy & Operations Chief

High Tyro (Top First-Year): Staff Sgt. Christopher Miller, VMMT-204, 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing

Team Results
The championship featured fierce competition between regional teams:
Inter-Division Rifle Team Trophy: Won by the **Far East Team (MCB Pacific).
Inter-Division Pistol Team Trophy: Won by the **East Team.
Fleet Marine Force Combat Infantry Team Trophy: Won by the **East Team.
Inter-Corps Team Competition Trophy: Won by the Marine Corps Shooting Team.

Significance
Beyond the trophies, the 2026 championships served as a talent identification scout for the Marine Corps Shooting Team. Additionally, the Marine Corps celebrated a historic victory during the same month as the Marine Corps Shooting Team won the 2026 International Sniper Competition** for only the second time in history.

Col. Scott A. Cuomo, commanding officer of WTBn, noted that the competitors represent a "fraction of a percent" of the most lethal foundational skills in the Corps today.

Видео United States Marines Compete in the Marine Corps Marksmanship Competition at Quantico April 2026 канала Robert Wilson