The Corps of Cadets Marksmanship Unit recently completed its 12th season, achieving high levels of success across multiple national events.
“All men dream, but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find it was vanity, but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dreams with open eyes, to make them possible,” T.E. Lawrence.
The above quote sits centered on a printed sheet, just below the Corps of Cadets Marksmanship Unit (CCMU) logo. Eight copies of the sheet have been made, one for each CCMU team member who is set to compete the next day at the SIG SAUER Relentless Warrior Championship in Epping, New Hampshire. One of the team’s coaches, Kevin Jimmerson ‘89, gives the team final words of motivation for the evening.
“Look at that quote on that sheet of paper you just received. That’s us. We dream with our eyes open. Tomorrow is a wide open table. Anyone can do this, but remember that it’s a marathon. I don’t ask that you win, because this isn’t about winning. It’s about looking around and taking care of your buddies. It is not about one of us, it's about all of us,” Jimmerson said.
A token of the moment, members of the team begin moving around the room to sign each other’s sheets. Once each sheet has been signed, paracord and metal links are placed in front of them.
“There is not a ‘weakest link’ on this team. I want each of you to take a link, tie the paracord around it and wear it while we compete this weekend. If you’re ever up there and you need reassurance, grab onto that link and know that we are in this together,” Jimmerson explained.
The following morning, the CCMU is fully geared up at the SIG SAUER Training facility. It is a cold, snowy morning, but the weather conditions seem to go largely unnoticed by everyone in attendance. The team’s participation in this event comes just weeks after their first place finish at the Scholastic Action Shooting Program (SASP)’s National Championship in Talladega, Alabama, and they’re focused on closing out the season on a high note at the Relentless Warrior Championship.
“Going to compete at the SASP and SIG National Championships is always nerve-wracking, knowing you have to outperform the best in the sport. My teammates have an inspiring drive to compete and a motivation to always improve. The CCMU is unique because we compete in so many shooting disciplines. Our competitors typically only shoot SASP or SIG; we shoot both and more, such as the Texas Tactical Police Officers Association’s SWAT Competition and the Mammoth Sniper Challenge. At times, it feels like the team is in a constant state of gearing up, tuning and preparation,” Chance De Vos ‘24, Commanding Officer of the unit, said
“I am incredibly proud of my teammates and all of the hard work they have put in the last two semesters. Long nights catching up on school work into early mornings of dry fire, and then weekends of full-day practices and matches. It's why I believe that the CCMU forges the best cadets on the Quad,” he continued.
The Relentless Warrior Championship is lined with notable competitors for the CCMU. Teams from each of the United States Service Academies, senior military colleges and the Canadian Royal Military Academy are all present, with some members of these squads even having prior active duty military service under their belts. It's a stage filled with heavy hitters, but is also one on which Texas A&M has been consistently well represented.
“Texas A&M has a reputation to uphold, and it truly is an honor and a privilege to be able to represent the university and the Corps at all of the events we attend. The pressure to perform and live up to the CCMU's reputation is on and to be able to go out and compete truly is an incredible opportunity,” De Vos said.
Though over 1,800 miles away from Texas A&M’s campus, half of the team’s members have family who have traveled to support them across two days of intense, 3-Gun format competition. Family members have arrived from California, Utah, Texas and Massachusetts to support their cadets in the team’s much anticipated final match of the season, and their presence makes all the difference.
“It was very nice having my family come watch the team and I shoot. I felt the same sense of joy and support from them that weekend that I did from them when they came to my peewee league soccer games. The feeling of, ‘my mom and dad are here to see me! Yay!’ Having my family's support means a lot to me, and I know my teammates also enjoyed having their families come to watch us as well. It makes me feel accomplished and thankful that my family supports me,” Charlie Roach ‘25, who is originally from Topsfield, MA, said.
Throughout the competition’s two days, cadets push through several complex course trials, each featuring the use of rifles, pistols and occasionally a prop gun provided by Sig Sauer. Some courses require cadets to maneuver around obstacles, to include exiting a parked car and traversing through a plastic tunnel. One trial even features a challenge where cadets are required to grab a weighted bag and toss it over a wooden fence before continuing on to the course’s pistol portion.
Before and after each course, members of the CCMU can be seen jotting notes down on their pocket sized notebooks. Prior to the start of each course trial, cadets’ notes detail the specific course rules. After a course’s conclusion, cadets retrace their steps, detailing their shot placement and other mental takeaways.
“We take notes before and after the stage because your brain is for thinking, and paper is for remembering. Under the stress of a stage, it is often easy to forget important information. Writing it down helps build that pathway in your brain, allowing you to reference and remember important details when you’re under the stress of the match,” Rheily Garcia ‘24 said.
In between courses, cadets mingle with each other and members of the other teams, forming relationships with each other that will last long beyond the competition. Also within these small windows of downtime, they take time to ground themselves by looking to their link and paracord, recalling that they are moving together as a unit.
“One of my favorite parts of SIG especially is being able to build relationships and camaraderie with the senior military college and service academy teams. Building these relationships is beneficial to cadets' development now and will be important when our contracted cadets become officers in our military as part of a joint force,” De Vos said.
At the conclusion of the competition, the CCMU cadets, alongside the other teams, attend a banquet where the final results are announced. Members of the team are dressed in either the Corps’ Alphas or Midnights uniforms, depending on their classification. Among the many unique uniforms worn at this final event, the three pairs of senior boots in attendance are among the most notable details. For the three senior members of the unit, this evening is the culmination of their years of hard work and dedication to the team.
“During my sophomore year in the Corps I had the opportunity to teach the then freshman class on CCMU how to be good teammates, students and cadets in addition to weapon handling and marksmanship. Watching their growth and achievements as they have developed into capable shooters and leaders in their own right has been the best experience of my college career. I have learned that teamwork and hard work are everything and serving those around you is the most rewarding thing you can do,” Ayla Myrin ‘24 said.
As results are announced, the CCMU’s reputation as one of the nation’s most decorated collegiate shooting squads is further solidified. Finishing second overall as a team, the CCMU also received the Top Gun and High Point Lady Shooter awards, among several other individual marks. Of the eight CCMU shooters who competed, seven placed within the top twelve. These awards compliment the rest of the team's 2023-2024 season, which included a tenth consecutive national championship title at SASP, a top ten placement at the Mammoth Sniper Challenge and a top 50% finish at the Texas Tactical Police Officers Association’s SWAT Competition.
Though an undeniably successful season for the team, the CCMU is no stranger to these levels of achievement. Founded in the fall of 2011, the CCMU’s legacy is lined with national titles, high point individual marks and other accolades. The team’s dominance at every level has led to a variety of support from industry leaders such as Global Ordinance, Staccato, Glock, Adams Arms and Kryptek, which aid the team in firearm and apparel needs. Though a significant help on the equipment front, a financial gap in team travel and ammunition costs poses a threat to the team’s ability to compete.
“For just over a decade, the Corps of Cadets Marksmanship Unit has served as a dominant force in the competitive shooting realm. These cadets and their coaches pour countless hours into their preparation for these competitions. The results, the awards they bring home, are a direct result of their dedication to their sport,” Brigadier General (U.S. Army, Ret.) Patrick Michaelis ‘93, Commandant of the Corps of Cadets, said.
If you are interested in helping the national champion Corps of Cadets Marksmanship Unit compete at every level, please contact Kelly Corcoran at the Texas A&M Foundation here.
Story By: Robin Nelson '22