Canadian Armed Forces members to compete against 700 military shooters from around the world

Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members will be competing against 700 military shooters from around the world in the annual British Defence Operational Shooting Competition from June 19 to 29 in Bisley, United Kingdom.

The CAF Combat Shooting Team (CST) will be competing in three weapons categories: service rifle, service pistol, and light machine gun. The CST consists of diverse trades of the CAF like the infantry, artillery, combat engineers, electrical and mechanical engineers, signals, air combat systems officers, and naval weapons engineering managers.

Teams for “Bisley,” as it is often called, were assembled based on the Canadian Armed Forces Small Arms Concentration in 2015 and are drawn from all four Canadian Army Divisions, the Royal Canadian Air Force, and the Royal Canadian Navy.

“The Canadian Armed Forces Combat Shooting Team is really looking forward to testing its skills and sharing training ideas with allies. The shooters have qualified at the division and national levels to get to Bisley, and this opportunity is the culmination of years of training. The team looks forward to representing the Canadian Armed Forces at this concentration and showcasing its world-class shooting skills,” stated Capt. Erin Neate, Bisley CAF Combat Shooting Team Captain.

The event takes place each summer and involves the Army Operational Shooting Competition for Regular Force matches and the Army Reserve Operational Shooting Competition (AROSC).

During last year’s AROSC, Sergeant Tatyana Danylyshyn of The Canadian Scottish Regiment (Princess Mary’s) took top shot and Corporal Baron Hordo of The Queen’s Own Rifles of Canada earned a third-place result.

The CAF has been taking part in Bisley for more than 100 years.

“Taking part in shooting concentrations, both at home and abroad, affords an opportunity for Canadian Armed Forces members to train and test their shooting skills, showcasing their marksmanship expertise and providing important experience for the reinvestment of best practices within home units and brigades,” stated a Department of National Defence/ CAF press release.