GREAT LAKES, Ill. (August 15, 2024) – Naval Station Great Lakes (NSGL) Sailor and Shelbyville, Ill. native Master-at-Arms 1 st Class Shawn D. Bly competed with the U.S. Navy Marksmanship Team (USNMT) at the 2024 Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) National Matches, held at Camp Perry, Ohio from July 11 – August 10, 2024.

Bly has served in the Navy for over 11 years, and he has been at NSGL since October, 2021. He first began to shoot with the USNMT in 2022. One of his main motivations for joining was to see how his shooting skills compared with others in the armed forces, both in the Navy and other branches.

“I really wanted to see where my skills matched up with others in the military,” said Bly. “Plus it’s pretty cool to be able to say you shoot guns competitively for the Navy.”

Since he began competing with the USNMT in 2022, Bly has competed in multiple competitions. He’s competed in the Atlantic Fleet and All Navy (East) Rifle Championship match three times, the Inter-Service Rifle Championship Match twice, the Virginia State High-Power Service Rifle Match once, and the CMP National Matches three times.

“I met Bly in 2022 at the 60th Annual All Navy/Fleet (East) Rifle and Pistol Championships in Quantico, Va.,” said Chief Logistics Specialist Jason Ryan, from Leavenworth, Ka., serving aboard USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) and another member of the USNMT. “He performed exceptionally, and as a result received the award for High New Shooter for the rifle discipline. This feat was accomplished with a rifle and equipment that was borrowed to him and that he was completely unfamiliar with. To say that Bly has a natural gift for marksmanship is an understatement. With coaching, mentorship and dedication I have witnessed him improve immensely over the past three years. He’s a very accomplished shooter and is among the top in

the Navy and the nation.”

The CMP National Matches, held annually at the National Guard training center at Camp Perry, Ohio, is one of the nation’s largest series of competitive shooting matches. Each year, the matches bring over 5,000 competitors, volunteers, vendors and family members to Camp Perry

each year.

At this year’s CMP National Matches, Bly took first place in six different matches, winning the All-Navy Adm. Arleigh Burke Trophy; the All-Navy Capt. Joe Earl Wyatt Trophy; the Inter-Service Coast Guard match; the Inter-Service Don McCoy Memorial Trophy; and the All Navy Rifle Excellence in Competition (EIC) Non-Distinguished match, which made him the 433rd

Distinguished Rifleman ever in the Navy. Overall, Bly placed 46 th out of 324 competitors. Bly was also the first Master-at-Arms to win all three of the Navy trophies. Bly feels that his success would not have been possible without the training and mentorship of other members of the USNMT.

“I’ve had many ups and many downs. It wasn’t just show up and shoot and hit the center. I missed targets completely and had poor concentration at times. The other team members are there to help you out and get rid of the mistakes by building you up,” said Bly. “The team is a very tight-knit group, and they all do a great job of making sure everyone can perform at their highest level via training and experience.”

Sailors interested in shooting for the USNMT should consult with their chain of command, and can join the U.S. Navy Marksmanship Forum Facebook Group for more information about how to join the team: https://www.facebook.com/groups/298739620052/