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Corps of Cadets Marksmanship Unit

Texas A&M Corps of Cadets Marksmanship Unit Builds Community On and Off the Range

May 22, 2025 by rnelson

CCMU stands together, holding an A&M flag, at the SIG SAUER Relentless Warrior Championship in Epping, New Hampshire.

By Robin Nelson ‘22, Texas A&M University Corps of Cadets - May 22nd, 2025

Founded in the fall of 2011, the Corps of Cadets Marksmanship Unit (CCMU) provides all cadets, regardless of their experience with competitive marksmanship, an opportunity to develop as leaders, compete on the national stage and build relationships that will last a lifetime. 

“My goal is to provide cadets with real challenges, in stress filled environments, where the consequences of the choices made will have significant, meaningful outcomes. This focuses on the rewards of success, and the pain of failure. Our cadets don’t just experience leadership in a lab or a role playing environment, they are participating in, and running, an elite organization that functions consistently at a national championship level,” said CCMU Head Coach Kevin Jimmerson '89. 

Utilizing this hands-on experience with leadership, preparation and discipline, cadets on the team graduate with far more than competitive shooting accolades. 

“My focus as Coach, and our team’s organizational structure, is not about winning. It is about preparation. ‘Amat Victoria Curam, Victory Loves Preparation.’ If you prepare well enough, victory may find you. The life lesson I want our cadets to learn is the discipline to prepare. As leaders, they must know their job is to serve those they are privileged to lead. They serve by finding, developing and creating the circumstances where preparation can occur to its maximum,” Jimmerson continued. 

Through elite mental and physical training, the CCMU has amassed numerous national titles and individual awards, and is consistently recognized as one of the top teams in the competitive marksmanship realm. Following the recent completion of their thirteenth season, members of the unit have once again claimed championship titles on the national and international stages. 

In March, the CCMU traveled to Talladega, Alabama to compete in the Scholastic Action Shooting Program (SASP)’s National Championship. Divided into three squads of four shooters, the team competed in the competition’s production, 1911 and pistol caliber carbine divisions against universities from across the nation. With one squad posting record-setting performances in the production and 1911 divisions, CCMU earned their ninth national champion title at the event. In addition to the team’s squad-level performance, cadet Thomas Nunnally '27 set the collegiate record for the fastest production individual match time with a time of 34.23 seconds. 

“Everything we do prepares us for SASP. That includes our mindset going into a match, the basic fundamentals of shooting and preparing ourselves physically and mentally outside of shooting. The fact is, there’s never a time we aren’t training. Because of the inherent simplicity of SASP, everything can be taken for granted. This is where we shine as a team. We take these stages, like everything else, extremely seriously,” said Nunnally, who just finished his sophomore season with the team.

While the drive to win is not a new feeling to Nunnally, he says that he’s excited to be able to share his experiences with the family that he’s found on the team. 

“I've been shooting for years, so the idea of breaking personal records is not new to me. However, I am more excited to be able to share what I know with the team. I love these dudes. Plain and simple. I don’t see them as teammates anymore, I see them as my family. I can count on any of them for anything,” Nunnally said.

Immediately upon their return to College Station, the team’s sights were locked on their season’s final competition at the SIG SAUER Relentless Warrior Championship. A combat-style 3-gun match, the challenges the team faces at SIG are much different when compared to the action-style match they compete in at SASP. Because of this difference in style, members of the team must quickly adapt to the associated changes. 

“Our coach always says that winning SASP and SIG is like winning the Superbowl and the World Series, with the same team, in the span of a month. They are two extremely different shooting sports. At SASP, we use iron sights on pistols that are different from the pistols and red dot sights that we use at SIG. It is one thing to train using a different pistol, but constantly switching between iron sights and red dots is extremely difficult,” said Parker Pugno '25, who served as the unit’s 2024-2025 Commanding Officer. 

Following intense preparation, the CCMU traveled to Epping, New Hampshire in mid-march to compete at SIG. In another difference from SASP, SIG is exclusively attended by the United States Service Academies, Senior Military Colleges and the Royal Military College of Canada. 

“I have thoroughly enjoyed getting to compete against cadets from across the U.S. and Canada. At the end of the day, we are each pushing each other to get better, not just in shooting, but rather in a wide plethora of skills that will carry us into our careers. These skills include critical thinking, performing under pressure, working with and leading a tight knit team and so much more,” Pugno said. 

With his future career as an officer in the United States Space Force in mind, Pugno says that these relationships with other cadets have enhanced his understanding of the military as a whole.

“The Space Force has an emphasis on helping the joint force and providing force multipliers to each branch of the military. By gaining a greater understanding of the different branches, I believe this understanding will help me in my career in the Space Force. Thanks to these opportunities to compete that few, if any, other Space Force cadets have received, I feel prepared to meet the Space Force’s emphasis,” Pugno said. 

In addition to testing each shooter’s marksmanship abilities, the match’s six stages also demanded peak physical and mental performances from its participants. 

“SIG is extremely mentally and physically rigorous, while still being a lot of fun. Going from training in Texas to competing in the below freezing temperatures, rain and snow in New Hampshire was not easy, but it was more than enjoyable,” Pugno explained. 

“The competition required a level of athleticism, calling for us to lift and carry 60 pound sand bags, navigate obstacles and have the speed and agility to be a proficient shooter. Mentally, each stage required in-depth planning and performance under pressure when the clock was running. The stages require you to have expert level muzzle and trigger discipline, as well as expert level marksmanship and rifle and pistol manipulation.”

As a result of their dedication to mental, physical and technical readiness, the CCMU earned their second national title in less than a month at the competition. In addition to being crowned the overall champions of the seventh annual SIG SAUER Relentless Warrior Championship, the team also had five cadets place in the top ten individual shooters, with cadet Shiloh Lewis claiming first. 

For members of the CCMU, it’s not simply about winning national championships. Members cite the community the unit has provided them as one of their favorite aspects of being a member of the Corps of Cadets.  

“CCMU has been the heart of my Corps experience. With a high operations tempo year-round, we’re always training, pushing limits and competing. Every year, only about ten freshmen out of 100–200 applicants are selected, and not all of them make it all four years. The level of commitment it takes to stay on the team bonds us tighter than most friendships ever could. With only about 20 of us total, we know each other inside and out, to the point that we can predict each other's actions in competition and in life,” said Pugno.

“It's a privilege to contribute to Texas A&M’s legacy in such a unique way. Every title we bring home represents more than just a win—it’s the result of countless hours of training, sacrifice and dedication. To know that my teammates and I are leaving our mark on the university’s history is deeply rewarding. We’re proving, year after year, that Texas A&M is the best place in the country for developing elite, high-performing individuals—on and off the range.”

The CCMU is one of many smaller groups that thrive within the overarching Corps community. Similar to the larger Corps, the CCMU is home to cadets from a wide variety of life experiences, interests and goals. Using these differences to their advantage, cadets in the CCMU and all across the Quad work toward the Corps’ mission of developing well-educated leaders of character who are prepared for the global leadership challenges of the future.

If you are interested in helping the national champion Corps of Cadets Marksmanship Unit continue to provide community and premier leadership development opportunities to cadets, please contact Kelly Corcoran at the Texas A&M Foundation here.

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Filed Under: News Tagged With: Cadet Leadership, ccmu, Corps of Cadets Marksmanship Unit

CCMU Remains One Of The Nation’s Elite Shooting Squads

May 21, 2024 by rnelson

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. 

A paracord necklace with a metal link laying on top of the quote sheet that was given to each cadet.
Each cadet who competed at SIG received a link and quote sheet as a symbol of their place on the team.

“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. 

Cadets smile in front of a Sig Sauer poster in the snow.
Held annually in Epping, New Hampshire, the SIG SAUER Relentless Warrior Championship is one of the CCMU's most prominent involvements.

“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. 

CCMU cadet smiles with his dad and sister at the SIG SAUER academy.
Family members of several CCMU cadets traveled from across the nation to watch and support them as they competed at SIG.

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. 

CCMU team gathered in cadet Charlie Roach '25's house for dinner after the competition.
Cadet Charlie Roach's family hosted the team for dinner at their home in Topsfield, MA.

“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.

A cadet makes note of her shot placement after a completing a course.
Following the conclusion of each course, CCMU cadets retrace their steps and take notes on their shot placement.

“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.

Teams from each of the Service Academies and the Senior Military Colleges are present at the Relentless Warrior competition.

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. 

A cadet howdy hat rests on the team's three 2024 Relentless Warrior awards (High Lady, Team 2nd Place, and M17 Shootout Champion).
In the past eight SIG Championship competitions, the CCMU has never finished below second place.

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

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Filed Under: News Tagged With: Cadet Leadership, Corps Athletics, Corps of Cadets, Corps of Cadets Marksmanship Unit, News, Out Of State Cadets, Texas A&M Corps of Cadets

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