Air Force team on target at shooting competition Published May 28, 2009 By Thea Skinner 21st Space Wing Public Affairs staff writer PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. -- Peterson Airman participated in the 49th Annual Armed Services Skeet Shooting Championships in Albuquerque, N.M., May 11 through May 15. Rhythm met shooting excitement, as shooters took aim at clay pigeons. "It is a game of repetition - you have to do 100 things right to hit the target, but only one thing wrong to miss it," said Tech. Sgt. Christopher Cobb, 21st Space Wing Command Post. Skeet shooting involves four gauges of shotgun with five basic events while shooting at 100 targets in all gauges, except 12 gauge. Competitors generally use over-and-under shotguns. Sergeant Cobb and Master Sgt. Christopher Robbins, also of the 21st SW Command Post, competed in individual and team competitions, completing about 30 competitions. Sergeant Cobb's best competition placed him third in .410 Bore and Sergeant Robbins's individual best placed him first in Doubles, which involves shooting two targets traveling at 20 to 50 mph at the same time. Sergeant Robbins has been shooting for one year, and shoots with retirees at the Pikes Peak Gun Club and at Buckley Air Force Base. His individual best includes first in 12 gauge, second in 28 gauge, and fifth in .410 Bore. "Being around all the other branches of the military - we all share common interests everyone wants to be the best shooter out there," Sergeant Robbins said. More than 100 competitors including active duty, retired, Coast Guards and reservists, converged at the competition. Sergeant Cobb mentored Sergeant Robbins and the pair underwent vigorous training in preparation for the competition. "It is challenging to get the same days off as shift workers," Sergeant Cobb said. "It (the sport) is also very expensive (and) just like any other sport there is conditioning - there is hand-eye coordination and eyesight." The duo train about six times a month, focusing on mental and physical aspects of the sport. Sergeant Cobb, an experienced shooter, returned to the sport after a two year deployment to Iraq from 2006 to 2007. He won the entire event during the 2005 competition. The 2009 competition was Sergeant Cobb's second competition in four years, besides the Colorado State Championships, in which he achieved the second highest overall score. "He is a great shooter - probably one of our best. He is one of the strongest competitors we have," said Col. Rick Davis, Air Force team two captain. Sergeant Cobb identifies with Sergeant Robbins' struggles as a beginning skeet shooter, and used the opportunity as an advantage during mentor sessions. "We shot 3,000 rounds in the last two months," said Sergeant Robbins. "We spent a lot of time - he improved my scores. I went from shooting in the 70s to shooting in the 90s." Sergeant Cobb will attend the 2009 World Skeet Championships in San Antonio, Texas, in October, and has his eyes on training and mentoring other skeet shooters in the future. His words of wisdom: "Come on out to any gun club and any of the regulars will be happy to give advice - jumping in full blown there is an initial cost, but the rewards pay off in dividends." For more information, go to www.afsashoot.com.