Air Force High Power Rifle Team powerhouse embodies military lethality
ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. – Precision, discipline and ironclad mental control are the cornerstones of military lethality.
For Capt. Thomas Golding, 461st Operations Support Squadron deputy chief and emerging powerhouse on the Air Force High Power Rifle Team, these fundamentals translated into a podium finish at the National Matches at Camp Perry, Ohio. Following a nine-month stateside deployment where dry-fire drills kept his edge sharp, Golding outperformed hundreds of the nation’s premier military and civilian shooters, cementing his position as one of the country’s elite marksmen.
“I love being on the range. I like guns, I like shooting them,” said Golding. “I like the mechanical aspect of them, and I like tinkering and fixing them. It is my favorite hobby. That makes it relatively easy for me to put the time in and focus on the sport, because it's something that I already enjoy doing. Now I get to do it for work too, which is cool.”
At the pinnacle of his individual achievements during the competition, Golding placed first out of 268 competitors in the Small Arms Firing School M16 rifle Match. In this event, every competitor is issued an identical rifle and ammunition, stripping away equipment advantages and ensuring a completely level playing field where victory is decided solely by marksmanship fundamentals and mental resilience.
The SAFS M16 Match is designed to test raw shooter capability. Administered and taught by the legendary U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit, the school gathers shooters of all experience levels for rigorous instruction before putting them to the ultimate test on the firing line at 200 yards.
Golding’s path to Camp Perry was far from traditional. After beginning his journey with the Air Force High Power Rifle Team in the spring of 2025 at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia, his training momentum was halted by a stateside deployment that was originally scheduled for six months but stretched to nine.
Unable to access live fire ranges, Golding refused to let his skills slip. He turned to the highly disciplined art of dry-fire practice, where he went through the motions of shooting by practicing his stance, breath control and trigger control. He would spend hours standing, kneeling and laying to build up the muscle memory.
“I was itching to get back on the range,” said Golding. “But I got out of there in time to make it to Perry, which was my goal this year.”
Beyond his M16 victory, Golding demonstrated adaptability by competing in historic “wood gun” matches. These vintage platforms lack the light recoil, crisp triggers and optics of a modern AR-15.
Squeezing a heavy, stiff vintage trigger without moving the sights requires intense focus.
Golding overcame these challenges to secure a gold medal in the Vintage Military Match utilizing a historic 1917 Enfield rifle, bronze medal in the National John C. Garand Match, firing a standard issue M1 Garand rifle and first place in the National Infantry Team Match “Rattle Battle” as part of a highly coordinated six-man team.
For Golding, competitive shooting is not just a personal passion, it is a direct contributor to warfighter readiness. He believes that baseline marksmanship competence is vital for every service member, regardless of their career field.
“We are required to qualify with a handgun before we deploy; I would like to see our training become more developed,” said Golding. “I would love for people to get more opportunities to become competent with firearms.”
Representing the Air Force High Power Rifle Team allows him to showcase Air Force lethality on a national stage.
“It’s fun when we go to these competitions and the Air Force team beats the Marines or beats the Army,” said Golding. “We can kind of brag a little bit that we still beat them, little inner-service rivalry.”
The captain is actively leveraging his momentum to propel his marksmanship career to the next level.
On Nov. 6, Golding will travel to Talladega, Alabama, for a 10-day regional competition modeled after Camp Perry matches. Looking further ahead, he is slated to be named to the official 10-shooter roster of the Air Force High Power Rifle Team for the 2027 season.
His goals for the upcoming season are to earn the Distinguished Marksmanship Badge, the highest honor in military marksmanship by securing Excellence-in-Competition points, and to place within the top 100 shooters in the country at Camp Perry, earning the right to wear the coveted President’s Hundred badge on his Air Force uniform.
As Golding continues to train at Robins AFB, his journey stands as a testament to what can be achieved when personal passion collaborates with military discipline.
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