U.S. ARMY PRESIDENT'S HUNDRED

One of just four tabs awarded to Soldiers for individual skills that is authorized for permanent wear, the President’s Hundred traces its origins to the National Rifle Association’s American Military Rifle Championship Match, first held at the Creedmoor Rifle Range on Long Island in 1878. Six years later, the title of the competition was changed to the President's  Match for the Military Rifle Championship of the United States, with competitions still conducted at Creedmoor until 1891. The competition was relocated to National Guard Camp, Sea Girt in New Jersey, in 1892, but it wasn’t until after the turn of the century that it began to assume its status as one of the world’s premier marksmanship events.

A 1903 Congressional amendment to a bill allocating funds to the War Department helped create the National Board for the Promotion of Rifle Practice (NBPRB) and National Matches, held jointly by the NBPRB and the National Rifle Association; the President’s Match was incorporated into this program at the same time. The next year, the event received its Presidential imprimatur when Theodore Roosevelt wrote a personal letter of congratulations to the winner of the 1904 President’s Match, Private Howard Gensch of the New Jersey National Guard.

Although Teddy’s thoughtfulness established a tradition of Presidential acknowledgement to the winner of the President’s Match, it was not strictly observed. In fact, the event itself was put on hold during the 1930s and during World War II. It wasn’t until 1957 that the event was rebooted under the title “The President’s Hundred,” with the tab of the same name being awarded to the top 100 scorers. In 1921, the event was opened up to civilian participation, so in addition to being one of a mere handful of skill tabs authorized for permanent military wear, the President’s Hundred is also the only such tab that can be earned by civilians.

Today, the event is held at Camp Perry in Ohio and is run by the Civilian Marksmanship Program.