CHANGE TO: NY National Guard Soldiers represent New York at national sniper competition

LATHAM, NY (04/20/2017) (readMedia)-- Two New York Army National Guard Soldiers-- including one from Western New York-- will be participating in a nationwide sniper team competition at the National Guard Marksmanship Training Center at Camp Robinson, Arkansas, April 22-26.

Staff Sgt. Masami Yamakado and Sgt. David Peters will be among 56 Guard Soldiers in 28 teams who are participating in the annual Winston P. Wilson Sniper Championship.

Yamakado is a member of C Company, 1st Battalion 69th Infantry which is based at Camp Smith Training Site near Peekskill in the Hudson Valley. He has served in the New York Army National Guard since 2007 and lives in Garrison, N.Y.

Peters is a member of C Company 2nd Squadron 101st Cavalry which is based at the Masten Avenue Armory in Buffalo. He is a Hamburg resident and has served in the New York Army National Guard since 2011.

The National Guard hosts the event to promote marksmanship and sniper skills. Participants must be qualified snipers who are assigned to that position in their military units.

Snipers normally work in teams involving a marksman and a spotter who identifies targets for the marksman and helps determine range. Snipers are also trained in infiltration and concealment skills.

The contest requires the teams to engage targets with the Army's M2010 enhanced sniper rifle which has an effective range of 1,300 yards; just under three-quarters of a mile.

The teams are evaluated on target hits, time to engagement, the distance at which targets are hit, and stalking and range estimation skills.

NOTE: THIS IS A CHANGE TO A PRESS ANNOUNCEMENT RELEASED AT 8 A.M. APRIL, 20. THERE WAS A LAST MINUTE PERSONNEL CHANGE IN THE SOLDIERS REPRESENTING NEW YORK.