For someone who's been on the U.S. Air Force Pistol Team for only eight months, he's shot his way to some impressive results.

Staff Sgt. Roy Vreeland scored third in a recent Atlantic Fleet pistol match hosted by the U.S. Navy in Quantico, Va. Out of 1,000 possible shots, he hit 882, with 18 of them in the X ring, a golf-ball sized circle at the center of the target.

That placed Vreeland, a 2007 graduate of Bayfield High School, third out of 132 shooters from the Navy, Marines, Army, and Air Force, as well as civilians.

Vreeland also volunteered as a guest instructor for the Navy's Small Arms Firing School during the event.

On April 23, he placed fourth out of 111 shooters at the All Navy Match, also in Quantico. He also was the top shooter out of 88 who has not yet earned his Distinguished Pistol Shot badge. He's earned about two-thirds of the points needed to earn the badge, something that only 412 other Airmen have earned.

In the competitions, Vreeland shoots a 45-caliber M1911 pistol one-handed at distances of 25 and 50 yards under various time limits.

Vreeland is in the 707 Force Support Squadron stationed in Fort Meade, Maryland.

Vreeland and the other pistol team members have to raise funds for their own weapons, ammunition and travel costs to compete at the matches, and like many shooters, they reload their own ammunition to save money. His parents, Roy and Tracy Vreeland of Bayfield, are collecting some funds from friends and local groups to help pay for the team's expenses. Checks or donations can be sent to the Vreelands at 77 Bluebird Lane, Bayfield, CO 81122.

Vreeland "did an exceptional job representing the USAF," at the matches, wrote Lt. Col. Mike Ragland, a shooting trainer on the Air Force team.

Ragland hopes Vreeland can continue on to an interservice pistol championship hosted by the U.S. Army at Fort Benning, then the national championships this summer.