06/16/2026
Huntley Wins Marksmanship Title, Salvadorans Score Another Team Victory
Story and photos by Staff Sgt. Sean Ferry, JFHQ Public Affairs
Sgt. 1st Class Timothy Huntley, a platoon sergeant with the 237th Military Police Company, won the 2026 New Hampshire National Guard Combat Marksmanship Match held June 13 and 14 at Fort Devens.
Huntley bested a field of 72 shooters for individual high score. In team competition, El Salvador placed first out of 15 teams. It was the Salvadoran military’s third team win in the last four years.
The annual shoot, commonly known as "TAG Match" (The Adjutant General Match), is open to soldiers, airmen and state partners. This year’s version consisted of five scored events, including close- and long-range timed assessments with both the M4 carbine and M17 pistol.
The marksmanship showdown between troops from a broad range of units and job specialties directly supports a fundamental warfighting skill, said Huntley, who has shot the match five times and served as a coach.
“Competition is the next best thing to combat when it comes to reinforcing skills,” he said. “We have people participate in TAG Match because we want to bring them to a higher level of shooting.”
Sgt. Colby Stinson, a team leader with the 237th MPs, started competing two years ago as a junior enlisted soldier. He trained with well-established marksmen like Huntley and Sgt. 1st Class David Musso earning a spot on this year’s NHNG marksmanship team.
“I just understood how the year before operated,” he said, referring to the mechanics of the competition. “And that’s what essentially allowed me to shoot better than I did the previous year.”
Huntley described the match as an open-book test, with all of the answers laid out in the official program, a packet handed to each participant well ahead of the competition.
“Learning those stages beforehand lets you only worry about the shooting itself and the fundamentals while you're on the range,” he said. “That's the first secret to success.”
Practice is the second.
Staff Sgt. Bank Wutisen, also a five-time TAG Match competitor, competes in civilian competitions on his own time. During a typical month, he said he makes a couple of trips to a sportsman club Center Strafford. The membership fee for guardsmen is $25.
“It’s high up there with staying fit,” said Wutisen, an NCO for the 12th Civil Support Team. “Getting time down range and spending extra time, I think everyone should be able to do that.”
The competition’s namesake is its staunchest proponent.
"Whether you came in first or last, it doesn't really matter,” NH Adjutant Gen. David Mikolaities said to the competitors at the awards ceremony.
The Special Forces officer has competed every year since joining the NHARNG as a major.
“You're putting rounds downrange, mastering the profession of arms, mastering your proficiency at marksmanship," he continued. "So, you should all be commended. Get people in your units to come out here next year. It's worth your effort.”
