HALIFAX, Nova Scotia — Four soldiers from Nova Scotia, members of the Land Forces Atlantic Area (LFAA) Small Arms Team, won top honours in the 25th annual United Kingdom Reserve Forces Association Small Arms competition in Edinburgh, Scotland, on May 14.
Thirty-six teams from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), including the United Kingdom, the United States, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and Denmark competed in 9 events including: rifle (x 3), gallery, electronic and small arms/direct fire weapons trainer matches, light support weapon (LSW), 9mm Browning pistol, assault course, battle casualty test (first aid), archery, and command and control event.
From left to right, Warrant Officer Conrad, Captain Bucci and Master Warrant Officer Gray firing the SA80 assault rifle from the standing, prone and sitting positions.
Captain Greg Bucci (team captain), Master Warrant Officer Mike Gray (master coach), Warrant Officer Lawrence Conrad, The Princess Louise Fusiliers, Halifax, and Corporal Caleb Dickie, 1st Battalion, The Nova Scotia Highlanders (North), Truro, represented the Canadian Forces.
The team from Nova Scotia won a total of twenty-eight awards: fourteen gold medals, 3 silver medals, 8 trophies and 3 plaques.
After shooting in the hills of Scotland, the team won top honours for best foreign team, best overseas team, best overall team and best NATO team. They also took the gold in the rifle competition and the dismounted close combat trainer. The LFAA team won silver in the cumulative scores for the rifle, the pistol and also placed second in the LSW competition.
Article and photos by Captain Greg Bucci
