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One of the most commonly seen activities for soldiers in war is to personalize their rifles. Part occupying idle hands, part commemoration, and part easily set it apart from the others on the rack at a glance, it is something that has gone on for generations.

No matter if you are talking about muskets from the French and Indian War to AKs used in Afghanistan, it is a long-standing trait.

With that in mind, I thought the below story about the Walhalla High School Army JROTC rifle team from Walhalla, South Carolina, is just great.

The team has been personalizing their rifles for the past eight years with the caveat that they had to shoot a 530 at a sporter match before they can customize their stock.

Via CMP:

Now, reaching the honor of a painted rifle stock has become the ultimate focus of the varsity athletes. This season alone, four students have earned their custom stocks, including two freshman athletes, which has never happened in the history of the tradition.

“It gets established as the threshold for success,” COL Kevin Mangan, head coach of the rifle team, said of the rifle painting. “We have smaller goals set as well, like score 200 and a rifle is assigned to you, and at 250, you name your rifle – just little things to continue to work toward.”

Once an athlete reaches the 530 score, he or she gets to pick the subject of the art on the rifle stock. Mangan’s wife and daughters take on the graphic work along with Walhalla’s art department. From The Lion King to The Chronicles of Narnia to Hunter x Hunter, each athlete’s theme represents their own personalities and the hard work they’ve accomplished on the range.

To commemorate the rifle team’s tradition, Walhalla High School has allocated a trophy case in the student common area to display stocks of graduated athletes. So far, there have been 11 painted rifles, with more added each year.

“It has become the thing to accomplish for the Walhalla JROTC Rifle team,” Mangan said.

More here.