HOHENFELS, Germany –
A Pennsylvania National Guard Soldier has teamed up with Lithuanian Soldiers to participate in a sniper competition in Europe.
Sgt. Dalton Weist of 1st Battalion, 109th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team is taking part in the European Best Sniper Competition at Hohenfels Training Area, Germany, Aug. 5 to 11. Weist is the only American Soldier competing on a first-ever combined Pennsylvania-Lithuania team during the competition.
Weist said his passion for shooting has led him to the competition.
“My Dad taught me how to shoot at a very young age,” said Weist. "I started off with a simple .22 BB Gun Red Rider like everyone else. I took a passion to it."
The Best Sniper Competition challenges Soldiers from Allied and Partner nations to test their shooting skills, as well as work with other Soldiers in accomplishing various sniper tasks, like targeting, stalking, pistol fire, and night operations. The 2022 Best Sniper Competition features 36 teams from 18 countries.
The American-Lithuanian team is the first of its kind, said Sgt. 1st Class Anthony Stegmeier, Joint Multinational Readiness Center’s match director. JMRC is the 7th Army Training Command directorate that coordinated and executed the competition.
“This is our first year with a one and one: One team from one country and another country combined,” Stegmeier said.
This team is a product of the partnership between Lithuania and Pennsylvania through the National Guard State Partnership Program, which began in 1993, but these teammates were new to Weist.
“Previously I've dealt with a lot of the Lithuania National Guard units,” Weist said. “The guys I'm with today are active duty. They seem like really good people. I’m very confident in their abilities and I hope I don't let them down.”
Stegmeier spoke of the partnership between the Pennsylvania Army National Guard and Lithuania.
“They have a state partnership with Lithuania. Building a relationship and building a co-team is leaps and bounds in showing how us as partners can work together,” he said. “Talking to (Weist) I think this is going to be a great partnership.”
Weist said his team has discussed differences in their equipment and tactics they use to complete their missions. During the competition he will utilize his Lithuanian counterparts' weapons system.
There is a language barrier; Weist said, but he has been able to get past it with help from his team's coach.
“Once you get to this level, the one thing that is universal is weapons,” Weist said.
Weist added another benefit to the two-country team-up: the competition builds readiness and interoperability on a personal level that crosses international borders.
Stegmeier highlighted the interoperability between the two countries.
“Sharing weapons is awesome. I think it's always good to learn something new off a new weapons system,” said Stegmeier.
These team-ups are starting to spread across the competition just now, according to Stegmeier.
“We might see some more of these teams next year as well,” he said.
Since the partnership between the Pennsylvania National Guard and Lithuania began in 1993, the two sides have taken part in over 730 engagements, including senior leader engagements, subject matter expert exchanges, familiarization visits and cooperative training and exercises.