It was a historic performance for U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit shooters at the National Rifle Association National Pistol Championship as Service Pistol Team members took the top three positions out of 656 competitors.Staff Sgt. Patrick Franks claimed the coveted national title with a total score of 2649 out of 2700.The runner-up was Sgt. 1st Class James Henderson and third place went to Sgt. Greg Markowski.To top it off, the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit won the overall team championship to complete the sweep."I don’t think there has been team domination like this at nationals, ever," Henderson said.The competition, held at Camp Perry, Ohio, July 8-12, brings together civilian and military shooters from around the country for competitive pistol shooting with .22 and .45 caliber pistol matches, as well as revolvers.The annual competition began in 1907."You don’t have to win an individual category; I didn’t win any individual category, but my total score was good enough, and it just goes to show that you’re never down and out," Franks said.Adding, "You’re always hanging on by a point, and you got to fight for every single one on the firing line, mentally and physically."The USAMU took first place in all overall pistol categories, and came back from a six-point deficit on the final day, to win the overall team competition with a total score of 3495-152.The team’s elation, as they came off the firing line at the end of the team match, was justified by the final results."We handle ourselves well under pressure," Franks said."A lot of that comes from our training, and the other team matches that we do. We usually get together and we push ourselves." he added.Part of the team’s success, Henderson said, is imparting to the newer guys that it’s a marathon, not a sprint."It’s not about winning the one day. If you win the one gun [event], it’s great, but what we want to win is the overall aggregate," he said.For veteran shooters like Franks and Henderson, seeing their teammates improve and win is "awesome.""I was telling Sergeant Markowski, this is his third or fourth time up here, and he’s already got a podium slot," Henderson said.He added, "When I started out, it took me 10 years to get a podium slot. They’re coming up amazingly fast."(Editor’s note: this article is based on a story by Sgt. 1st Class Raymond Piper, U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit.)