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TAPS Joins Forces with West Point Runners to Honor Families of America’s Fallen Heroes

Wednesday, September 21st, 2016

Arlington, Va. – The Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS) is excited to announce their partnership with West Point’s U.S. Army Garrison Installation Family & MWR to honor those who have lost loved ones to military service, regardless of circumstance, through physical and social activities.

On Sunday, Oct. 9, three West Point teams (two active duty and one cadet) will run for Team TAPS in the 32nd Annual Army Ten-Miler race in Washington, D.C. The Team Long Gray Line athletes will sport their West Point gear with a TAPS logo patch; and each will run for a fallen West Point cadet or graduate in honor of their legacy and in tribute to the families they leave behind.

“This is such an incredible partnership to not only raise awareness of the TAPS mission of providing compassionate care and assistance to our heroes’ families and loved ones but to have our current and future Army leaders serving as TAPS Ambassadors in educating our military families that TAPS is and will be there for them, always.” said Tyler Gierber, USAG West Point’s Family & MWR Marketing Director.

The West Point teams at the Army Ten-Miler hope to inspire service academy graduates from across the country to join forces and donate to the Team Long Gray Line’s Team TAPS fundraising page at www.taps.org/TeamLongGrayLine. Contributions will support TAPS programs and ongoing support of surviving families of military loss. Through TAPS, survivors can participate in peer-based emotional support, grief and trauma resources, healing seminars and retreats, camps for children, casework assistance, connections to community-based care, online and in-person support groups and the 24/7 National Military Survivor Helpline.

“The commitment and excitement of Team Long Gray Line support to TAPS and our Army Ten-Miler efforts is inspiring,” said West Point Class of ’93 graduate Craig Wilhelm of Team TAPS. “The funds and awareness raised by our Team TAPS athletes will help those families who have lost a loved one to military service. We are deeply grateful for the three West Point teams running for Team TAPS and our partnership with the United States Military Academy.”

www.taps.org

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Gunfighter Moment – Pat McNamara

Saturday, November 3rd, 2012

“Train Like you Fight” is an overused and misunderstood axiom. Does it mean that we must train in full combat gear all of the time? Does it mean that we have to train until we drop? The answer is ‘No.’ It has nothing to do with how much black Velcro you strap on your person. The term comes from athletics of yore. ‘Practice like you play’. Instead of practicing on half court, practice on full court, for example.

When you work out or ‘PT’, to ensure your combat chassis is more effective and capable, do you do it in full kit? If the answer is ‘No’, then why do it?

If your objective to marksmanship training is to dissuade home invasion, should you be training in my boxer shorts?

‘Train like you fight’ means training beyond the drill. If the drill requires six shots to complete, think seven, eight or nine. Do not let the drill dictate to you when you should stop thinking.

Perform a focal shift. See things full spectrum. Once again, work beyond the drill. If the targets are directly in front of you, look beyond, in front of and understand what is flanking these targets.

Train during periods of limited visibility.

Train in adverse weather conditions.

Train to stay in the fight.

Patrick McNamara
SGM, US Army (Ret)


Patrick McNamara spent twenty-two years in the United States Army in a myriad of special operations units. When he worked in the premier special missions unit, he became an impeccable marksman, shooting with accurate, lethal results and tactical effectiveness. McNamara has trained tactical applications of shooting to people of all levels of marksmanship, from varsity level soldiers, and police officers who work the streets to civilians with little to no time behind the trigger.

His military experience quickly taught him that there is more to tactical marksmanship than merely squeezing the trigger. Utilizing his years of experience, McNamara developed a training methodology that is safe, effective and combat relevant and encourages a continuous thought process. This methodology teaches how to maintain safety at all times and choose targets that force accountability, as well as provides courses covering several categories, including individual, collective, on line and standards.

While serving as his Unit’s Marksmanship NCO, he developed his own marksmanship club with NRA, CMP, and USPSA affiliations. Mac ran monthly IPSC matches and ran semi annual military marksmanship championships to encourage marksmanship fundamentals and competitiveness throughout the Army.

He retired from the Army’s premier hostage rescue unit as a Sergeant Major and is the author of T.A.P.S. (Tactical Application of Practical Shooting).

tmacsinc.com

Gunfighter Moment is a weekly feature brought to you by Alias Training & Security Services. Each week Alias brings us a different Trainer and in turn they offer some words of wisdom.

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