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Siebert named USAF Distinguished Rifleman

By 123rd Airlift Wing Public Affairs, 123rd Airlift Wing Public Affairs / Published November 20, 2011

Senior Master Sgt. John Siebert, captain of the Kentucky Air National Guard Rifle Team, has earned one of the military's highest honors for marksmanship, the U.S. Air Force Distinguished Rifleman Badge. He won the honor for consistently scoring in the top 10 percent of all marksmen participating in multiple Excellence In Competition combat matches at the local, regional and national level, and for logging a cumulative 30 points in a career of shooting. (Courtesy photo)
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Senior Master Sgt. John Siebert, captain of the Kentucky Air National Guard Rifle Team, has earned one of the military's highest honors for marksmanship, the U.S. Air Force Distinguished Rifleman Badge. He won the honor for consistently scoring in the top 10 percent of all marksmen participating in multiple Excellence In Competition combat matches at the local, regional and national level, and for logging a cumulative 30 points in a career of shooting. (Courtesy photo)

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KENTUCKY AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- A member of the Kentucky Air National Guard has earned one of the military's highest honors for marksmanship, the U.S. Air Force Distinguished Rifleman Badge.

Senior Master Sgt. John Siebert, captain of the Kentucky Air Guard Rifle Team, won the honor for consistently scoring in the top 10 percent of all marksmen participating in multiple Excellence In Competition combat matches at the local, regional and national level, and for logging a cumulative 30 points in a career of shooting.

Only 325 Airmen have earned the U.S. Air Force Distinguished Rifleman Badge. The distinctive badge is made of 10-karat solid gold and is more strictly regulated than the Medal of Honor, according to military regulations

"This is a major achievement for any marksman," said Master Sgt. Darryl Loafman, captain of the Kentucky Air Guard Pistol Team and a shooting colleague of Sergeant Siebert's. "The Distinguished Rifleman Badge is the kind of honor that truly must be earned through years of discipline and dedication."

Sergeant Siebert, who received his individually numbered badge during the Winston P. Wilson National Guard Combat Matches at Camp J.T. Robinson, Ark., now joins an elite fraternity of just 324 other Distinguished Riflemen in Air Force history. The distinctive badge is made of 10-karat solid gold and is more strictly regulated than the Medal of Honor, according to military regulations.

"It's a real honor to be recognized among such a talented group of competitors," Sergeant Siebert said. "These are some of the top marksmen in the entire United States military."

The Kentucky Air Guard Marksmanship Team, which includes both the Rifle and Pistol Teams, has a long tradition of excellence, having earned more than two-dozen local, regional and national awards in the past decade, Sergeant Loafman said.