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SPRING 2025 PULLUSAMAGAZINE.COM 19 t a f f S e r g e a n t C h r i s t i a n Elliott has had a busy year. A m e m b e r o f t h e U. S. A r my Marksmanship Unit, he is the 2024 USA Shooting National Champion in skeet and earned the gold medal at the 2025 ISSF World Cup in Buenos Aires, Argentina. On top of that, in February, he and his wife welcomed their first child. Fresh off his first-ever individual World Cup gold, Elliott has an eye on qualifying for the World Championships in Greece later this year. He shows no signs of slowing down—only gearing up. "Clay target shooting was highly addictive for me as a young athlete. I'm glad it was, because it's been a blessing to be able to do this job, represent my country and the Army on such a stage," he says. "It's something that I certainly cherish—and I look forward to coming to work every day, so that's awesome too." EARLY BEGINNINGS Christian first discovered clay target shooting as a child when his dad took him to a rifle range at Camp Atterbury in Edinburgh, Indiana, about half an hour away from his home at the time. While there, Christian noticed that Camp Atterbury also had a clay target shooting range. "So, of course, the curious kid that I was, I asked my dad 'What's that up there?' We didn't go that day, but I think we went a couple of days or a week later," he says. "Really, the rest was history. I fell in love with it." S A MEMBER OF THE U.S. ARMY MARKSMANSHIP UNIT, STAFF SERGEANT CHRISTIAN ELLIOT T IS HUNGRY FOR SUCCESS ON THE INTERNATIONAL SKEET CIRCUIT. Clay target shooting was highly addictive for me as a young athlete. I'm glad it was, because it's been a blessing to be able to do this job, represent my country and the Army on such a stage."