– Major Jim Land, USMC –   

The honorary match director is one of the most influential men in the Sniper community.

Major Land joined the Marine Corps at the age of 17 in 1953, achieving the rank of E-6 before selection to Officer Candidate School in 1959.
As a commissioned officer assigned to the 4th Marine Regiment, Land demonstrated his aptitude for competitive shooting and was selected for the Marine Corps Rifle Team.
In 1961 he founded the first modern Marine sniper course. Land went to Vietnam as the officer in charge of the 1st Marine Division Sniper Teams.
It was in Vietnam he trained, and became the C.O. of legendary sniper, Carlos Hathcock.

After Vietnam Land was assigned as the Marksmanship Coordinator for the Marine Corps. That assignment made him responsible for marksmanship training across the Corps. When the Corps Sniper program was canceled in 1972, he worked with fellow Marines to reestablish the MOS for the Marine Sniper. His effort resulted in the permanent Marine Scout Sniper School at Quantico. In addition to his Marine service, Major Land worked as the Secretary of the NRA for 21 years.

The Major Land Sniper Cup will not be a typical sniper match.
It will focus on the shooter’s marksmanship skills and showcase the shooting team’s mastery of communication, their equipment, and its deployment.
Fundamental marksmanship and training is the legacy that Major Land established for the Marine Corps.
It will be here that we focus for this match.