On Sunday, 27 January 2008, the Twickenham Park Gallery Range came alive with the staging of the Queen’s Medal Competition.   The event was the climax for the 2007 Force Shooting Festival which was postponed because of operational demands to 12-27 January 2008.

The competition lived up to expectation as the competitors came out charged to be crowned the “King of the Queen’s Medal”.    There were in fact two female participants, but like many of the male competitors, fell out of the competition as it advances.

The competition was supported by members of the Jamaica Rifle Association and the families of serving members.  It was evident by their exuberance that the spectators were pleased with battling and pulsating shooting which the competitors gave and when the smoking guns finally ceased their firing, it was time to announce the placing for the top ten. The competition was keenly contested and at the end only 14 points separated the top two shooters.
 
As the competitors waited in anticipation for their score, one by one the favourites fell and then there was one.  Private Garie Bryan of the Jamaica Defence Force Air Wing was crowned the king of the Queen’s Medal.

The competition was not that easy for Bryan as he had to out-perform 177 other participants.
He had to work hard to stay in the competition through the various stages – top 72, top 24.
After the Top 24, he fought his way into the top ten.  At this stage,  the competition got more intense as the more experienced shooters in the Force began to shine.  He did not panic and went on to win the Queen’s Medal and crowned “The King of the Queen’s Medal.”

The Chief of Defence Staff, Major General Stewart Saunders, commended Private Bryan on winning the Queen’s Medal. 

The day’s event ended with a Falling Plate competition which saw teams from different ranks vying for the falling plate crown.  At the end of the shoot, it was the Privates’ Team that came out victorious against the officers and the Senior Non Commissioned Officers teams.

• Results of the Force Shooting Festival 2007
• March and Shoot
• Pistol Competition
• The Machine Gun Competition
• Maj T N ‘Bagga’ Martin Competition
• Queen’s Medal Competition
• A King for the Queen’s Medal
• ‘Getting Down and Dirty’ – in the Force Shooting Festival
• Blazing guns.