Pay No Attention to the Man Behind the Curtain – Behind the Scenes at Mammoth Sniper Challenge

Before the first shot is fired on Zero Day, before the first 0600 briefing, before the first competitor arrives on site, the people behind the scenes working to make Mammoth Sniper Challenge one of the best in the world are already missing sleep and swearing audibly whenever their phones ring. Welcome to the advance party, we literally have t-shirts.

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Of course we do, as Mammoth Sniper Challenge is hosted by Grunt Style. But more importantly, the Grunt Style team and the volunteers who work to make these events happen are prepared in a way that as a Marine I appreciated. Sometimes all is calm, sometimes there’s a dumpster on fire, but at all times someone is on it. While these personnel are not technically the story, since self-promotion seems cringy at best, I felt as an observer it was important to mention a few of them. No names that aren’t public of course, since they don’t have any warning that I’m doing this but know that they are the reason the shooters get to do all the fun stuff.

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Range Officers and Squad Leaders

This motley crew came from all over the country as volunteers to run the ranges safely and fairly, as well as shepherd their squads of shooters along the three-day event. They are by and large exactly who you would expect; veterans, firearms enthusiasts, advocates, and experts. Keeping calm heads and clear eyes to ensure a fair match, this group got precious little sleep, which to be fair only made them more entertaining.

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Grunt Style Support Staff

Speaking of not getting any sleep, I’m surprised that the GS Support Staff bothered having beds. Even after dinner was over and marching orders were issued for the evening and following day, there were scorecards to tally, logistics to coordinate, and equipment to transport. (ROs and SLs worked on this as well.) Rarely did I see some of them when I wasn’t looking for them; they were too busy plugging the leaks in the dam that anyone who has ever run an event will tell you are unavoidable. Considering the match went off without a hitch, at least as far as the shooters were concerned, mission accomplished.

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Alright, so a lot of vague statements later, where is the point? Well, simply this; often we see these monoliths and challenges and the like and assume that as with all other professional events there are all the resources of a strong company behind it, making it what it has become. That’s a little bit true. But more importantly there are people dedicated to making the event a beacon to competitors worldwide for the love of the sport. Most are volunteers, and all of them leave everything on the field. So, when you come down to compete, shake someone’s hand and let them know their hard work is appreciated. It will go a long way towards keeping them awake and aware for a little while longer.

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