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Nebraskans on target, win Sniper Competition
David Kroupa was combining corn on the family farm near Pierce, Neb., when the cell phone call came from the commanding officer of his Army National Guard unit. Would Kroupa be interested in teaming with Kris Hector, another Nebraska farm boy, to compete in the U.S. Army International Sniper Competition? Kroupaâs first thought was to reject the offer. He had returned from Bosnia less than a month earlier and wanted to kick back a bit longer. Besides, his help on the farm was welcomed. "But I only had to think about it for only a second or two, then I was good to go," Kroupa said. "Any time you get to shoot, itâs pretty fun."Hector, 28, and Kroupa, 24, had a blast during the event held in November at Fort Benning, Ga. The Nebraskans won the championship against 20 other teams of highly trained military snipers from Canada, England, Germany and, of course, the United States. Hector, who grew up near Johnson, Neb, placed second in this prestigious competition a year earlier with a partner from Florida. When Hector learned that his partner couldnât compete this time, he placed a call to Capt. Gordon Bjorman of Lincoln, Army National Guard state marksmanship coordinator. "The reason I called Capt. Bjorman," Hector said, "is that in the National Guard, Nebraska definitely has better long-range shooters than just about any other state." Thatâs because Nebraskaâs rural youngsters grow up hunting - and hunters make the best snipers. "Everybody knows that Nebraska has some of the best long-range shooters in the world," Hector said. "Thatâs because so many kids in Nebraska shoot rifles while growing up. Itâs second nature. Itâs part of our culture, and thatâs the big reason why weâre so good at it. Posted by: Chuck Simmins 2004-01-12 |
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