Shooters competing in the DODEA-Europe Marksmanship finals fire in the standing position, the most difficult discipline of the sport. The finals were held at Vilseck Middle High School on Feb. 1, 2025, and saw the Kaiserslautern Raiders defend their title. (Lydia Gordon/Stars and Stripes)

Christopher Pardo had relied on non-JROTC cadets to help spark his marksmanship team to success during his first 11 years as coach at Alconbury.

This season, though, that’s changed. Pardo and other marksmanship mentors around Europe are dealing with a new reality after a change reclassifying the sport as only for cadets. The move comes as marksmanship leaves the DODEA-Europe sports umbrella.

Last season, two non-cadets made the varsity squad at Alconbury, a far cry from the first season when six of the seven were not cadets.

Still, it’s having an impact on the team from one of DODEA’s smallest schools.

Pardo said Alconbury has 35 cadets out 136 students from eighth through 12 grades. With some cadets out for wrestling, basketball and cheerleading, the Dragons have limited options.

“Obviously, it hurts,” Pardo said. “I understand the cost, but whoever came up with the idea that because we’re already a DOD-funded organization that DODEA can’t pay for it, I’m not sure I understand the logic or that it’s ever been explained.”

DODEA spokesperson Jessica Tackaberry said a compliance review concluded marksmanship and drill are designated as JROTC programs and any student wishing to participate may do so by enrolling in a JROTC course.

Wiesbaden coach Allen Ashton said he understands the financial reasoning. He criticized how it limits options for students, though.

If non-cadets wish to shoot, they can go to local national shooting clubs. But it’s not the same environment that the American teams can offer.

“There should be a DODEA cycle where we can have other students shoot as well,” Ashton said. “I don’t get it. It’s disappointing.”

The news has come at an interesting time for the European marksmanship scene.

Teams have risen to national prominence in recent years. Ansbach and Alconbury won the Army and Air Force service championships in 2023, while Kaiserslautern took home the Air Force titles in 2024 and 2025. Stuttgart had carried the torch for DODEA-Europe teams in such events before then.

This year, seven Europe-based Army and two Air Force JROTC teams already have qualified for their respective service championships in Camp Perry, Ohio, and Anniston, Ala.

For the Army, Vilseck advanced two teams for the first time in program history. Ansbach and Wiesbaden also have two teams each going to Ohio, while Stuttgart has one.

For the Air Force, Kaiserslautern and crosstown rival Ramstein will compete in Alabama.

“You will not find anywhere in the States where you have so many teams within proximity with each other that are at that level where you’re competing at the national level,” Vilseck coach John Sabala said. “That just doesn’t happen. It doesn’t happen with any DODEA sports, either.”

Along with limiting participants, the programs now must pick up many of the costs associated with marksmanship.

Pellets, targets, target holders, guns, uniforms and other equipment have been funded through DODEA. Now teams must handle those. Even with fundraising, teams like Alconbury have tough decisions to make.

For example, a new precision air rifle is thousands of dollars.

The one thing with which the JROTC teams still won’t have to deal: DODEA is helping with transportation and will seek reimbursement from the Army and Air Force JROTC, Pardo said.

“We’re just sort of just hanging on with what we got. We do fundraising, but it’s mainly going to help us pay for the things we have to have,” Pardo said.

“The luxury of getting new rifles and stuff like that, probably not going to happen unless we get some kind of donor who’s willing to provide that sort of resource.”

This season, things aren’t going to look too different as far as actual competition goes. The teams have a five-week regular season before a European championship competition at Vilseck on Jan. 30-31.

As for the future, multiple coaches have expressed a desire to extend the season, considering marksmanship no longer must follow DODEA’s varsity sport calendar. That would align them more with the JROTC programs back in the States.

No matter the future, the aim will be the same: to make marksmen.

“I don’t see a change with what the coaches are doing,” Sabala said. “We’re going continue to identify shooters with the potential to be able to do it and to get them on board with our teams and help them reach their potential.”