The ground beneath the Fernan Rod & Gun Club vibrated with gunshots Saturday afternoon as 130 shooters took turns aiming at steel targets for a chance to win the annual Commemorative Steel Competition. 

For members of the Special Forces Association Chapter XLII, the sound of gunfire and clinking shells is a soundtrack of camaraderie. Although they were competing, participants were united by the same cause.

This is the fourth year the Special Forces Association has organized the Commemorative Steel Competition in honor of Sgt. Dustin Ard, who died in combat Aug. 29, 2019. Each contestant paid $120 to enter the competition, with entry fees supporting Ard’s widow and children.

“It’s been said, a man dies twice,” said Special Forces Association President Stephen Durfee. “He dies once when his body is killed, and he dies a second time when his name is no longer spoken.”

Sgt. 1st Class Dustin Ard, an Idaho native and Purple Heart recipient, died in combat in Afghanistan, leaving behind his pregnant wife, Mary. This year’s shooting competition marks the seventh anniversary of his death.

“He liked to drink strawberry milk when he was on deployment, and he never swore, cursed, smoked, drank, none of that stuff,” Durfee said. He added with a laugh, “We probably wouldn’t have been friends.”

Many participants in the competition are Special Forces members, while others are civilians with limited shooting experience.

“I think it’s great that we’re remembering our fallen soldiers,” said participant Pam Rosequist, who competed alongside her son. “It’s a great way to honor them.”

Rosequist has limited shooting experience and was one of the few female contestants. However, she found a warm and welcoming atmosphere at the gun range.

“The guys are great,” she said. “They’re super helpful.”

For participants with personal connections to Ard, the annual event is a cathartic experience. One active-duty service member, who asked to remain anonymous, was a close friend of Ard. He drove from Fort Lewis with his family to participate.

“Every time one of my friends was killed and I was there with them, we just had to compartmentalize it and move on,” the anonymous Special Forces member said. “This time I was here. I was on the backside of it. I was at his house the next day. I was with his family the next day.”

The service member has remained close to Ard’s family and has seen firsthand how these events benefit Mary Ard and her children, as well as the active service members who knew Ard.

“To see this continue for guys like him is extremely important for me to be a part of,” he said. “We want to speak their names forever because their lives are important.”

Last year, the Special Forces Association raised $10,000 for Ard’s family. The organization expects to raise a similar amount this year. According to Durfee, the Special Forces Association sends at least 80% of funds raised directly to the cause it is supporting. The rest goes toward operating costs.

“It’s called a nonprofit,” Durfee said. “If your bank account is going up, you’re doing it wrong.”

Durfee is grateful to the Fernan Rod & Gun Club for donating the use of its range to the Special Forces Association, as well as to the numerous local businesses that donated firearms, knives and liquor as prizes. Members of Mountain Lakes Bible Church also helped prepare homemade meals for participants.

The Commemorative Steel Competition is the Special Forces Association’s biggest annual fundraiser. For active and retired Special Forces members, events like these also offer a sense of belonging.

“It’s the camaraderie and being able to hook up with and speak with people who have gone through the same thing I have,” said Special Forces Association member Alan White. “It’s a good group, not only socially but for the charitable work they do. We’re basically a family.”

 The prize table at the Commemorative Steel Competition, all donated by local businesses.