Joseph Mueller

CHATSWORTH, CALIFORNIA

State Director Info

Background

  • 37 years United States Marine Corps
  • Expert in Rifle and Pistol
  • Match executive officer, Western Division Matches, USMC (seven times)
  • Match executive officer, Marine Corps Championship Match

Awards

  • John C. Garand Match Awards
  • Police Pistol Distinguished Shooter

Personal Info

I’m married with two children. I enjoy target shooting, scuba diving, hiking in remote regions, historical tour guiding, veteran’s activities, firearms collecting, military history and law enforcement history.

Reasons

My hope is to promote safety/marksmanship and to change the public perception of firearms.

Goals/Hopes

My goal is to increase annual participation in firearm‐related activity by 10 percent. I’m happy to associate with great Americans in an American right to keep and bear arms.

CMP Announces Olympic Silver Medalist SGT Maddalena as 2025 First Shot Speaker

By Ashley Dugan, CMP Staff Writer

CAMP PERRY, Ohio – Mark your calendars! The Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) is thrilled to announce SGT Sagen Maddalena of the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit as the 2025 National Matches First Shot Speaker. She will take her ceremonial first shot on July 14 at 4:30 p.m. on the Camp Perry National Guard Training Facility’s historic Rodriguez Range in Port Clinton, Ohio.

Since 1907, the National Trophy Rifle and Pistol Matches have been held at Camp Perry – welcoming each generation’s most talented marksmen and women from around the country as well as those hoping to learn more about the sport. The First Shot Ceremony serves as the traditional opening to the month-long competition season, while the First Shot speaker is an honored distinction amongst the marksmanship community.

SGT Maddalena began her career as a junior on the California Grizzlies highpower rifle team. As a Grizzly, she garnered several successes including the Freedom’s Fire Trophy as a member of the highest scoring team in the National Matches Junior Rifle Team Match in 2013. Maddalena went on to join the University of Alaska Fairbanks rifle team before heading to the Army.

Paris Olympics silver medalist SGT Sagen Maddalena will fire the ceremonial first shot in 2025. Photo: Getty Images

After several successes on a global level, she made her Olympic debut at the 2020 Tokyo Games before returning to Team USA for the 2024 Paris Games in both air rifle and smallbore – earning silver in the women’s three-position match. 

The CMP is honored to have her back to kick off the 2025 National Matches!

About the National Matches:

The National Matches schedule is comprised of the Trophy Pistol and Rifle Matches, National Games Matches, National Smallbore Matches, National Air Gun Championships and the National Mid-Range and Long Range Matches. Along with several competitive opportunities, the National Matches includes a variety of educational clinics for all experience levels as well as shopping selections from some of today’s leading industry vendors.

Plan your visit to the 2025 National Matches and view the schedule of events at https://thecmp.org/cmp-national-matches/.

Winning is secondary but comes often for California Grizzlies

By Sheri Trusty, CMP Feature Writer

Each year at Camp Perry, two new names are added to the Freedom’s Fire Trophy which honors the first-place team in the National Trophy Junior Team Match. Since the trophy’s creation in 2009, five of those teams have come from the California Grizzlies, which made a mark at the National Matches under the unique leadership philosophies of coaches Jim O’Connell and John-Alistair George.

To O’Connell and George, shooting skills are foundational to the success of a marksman but not the primary focus of their instruction. Instead, the pair teach lifelong skills that help the Grizzlies thrive on and off the range. Winning is a secondary goal for the coaches. Building strong humans comes first. 

“We teach a lot of the fundamentals of shooting, but then we turn it around and teach them to respect their teammates, respect the military personnel, and respect Camp Perry and the history here,” George said. “When you give kids a bigger purpose than winning, that translates into better shooting.” 

California Grizzlies pose for a photo together at Camp Perry.
The California Grizzlies pose for a photo with Coaches Jim O’Connell (right) and John George (third from right).
Jim O'Connell coaching juniors on the firing line.
Jim O’Connell behind the scope during the National Trophy Junior Team Match.

That character training starts long before the team arrives at Camp Perry. O’Connell, a retired Marine and Nationally Distinguished High Master, has hosted “Camp O’Connell” for the Grizzlies for the last 14 years. 

“When they first started, they were just a small group, so I started a clinic at the Coalinga Rifle Range, and I train them for a week. They pitch their tents and camp there,” O’Connell said. 

George said the camp greatly impacted the team. 

“He runs us through the Rattle Battle to practice for that, and we practice a lot of teambuilding and bonding,” George said. “For us, shooting comes second. We lay a life foundation that they work on.” 

The Rattle Battle practice gives the team an edge at Camp Perry. 

“At the junior level, not many teams train for Rattle Battle,” O’Connell said. “Because we train for it, if we have good zeroes and good wind calls, we’re likely to win. One year, the juniors won everything – high overall, high junior team and high civilian team.”

Teambuilding is a focal point of the Grizzlies’ coaching philosophy. 

California Grizzlies pose with the Infantry Trophy.
The California Grizzlies Juniors O’Connell team won the Infantry during the 2009 National Trophy Matches.

“A lot of our success has to do with the fact that they’re a team and have to learn to work together. They’re like a chain. You’re only as strong as the weakest link,” O’Connell said. “Wherever we go, we walk as a group. We’re always together. If one guy slows down, you don’t leave him behind. We work as a unit. Shooting skills will get you there, but the team thing – that’s what helps you do well in a team match.”

The Grizzlies are a team, but they are a team of individual, highly skilled marksmen who want to earn the right to compete in team matches at Camp Perry. 

“Selection for the team is not done until we get here. It’s based on your scores when you’re here, so you can shoot your way onto the team,” O’Connell said. “It’s important for them to know they still have the possibility to get on the team.”

Entwined within the training on teamwork is the coaches’ effort to give the Grizzlies the tools they need to flourish as marksmen and as individuals. 

California Grizzlies team pose together for photo.
Building teamwork is one of the key points the coaches stress to make the California Grizzlies program succeed.

“We create an environment where they can perform the best they can. There’s no stress. They just go out there and do what they do. We want our kids to succeed, but we want to do it in a way that elevates them,” George said. “We have the opportunity to mold these kids into the best versions of themselves. We don’t put up guardrails. We create an environment where they can thrive.” 

George said the team faces unique challenges training with AR-15s in a state that is not gun-friendly, but they turned those disadvantages into strengths to build a strong winning record. 

“This match is very special to us from California because we have our own challenges and restrictions,” George said. “At one time, California banned all service rifles and we had to use bolt action rifles. That put us at a great disadvantage but we did what needed to be done.”

Throughout the years, California law forced the Grizzlies to utilize bullet buttons, restricted adjustable stocks, and disallowed pistol grips. In the end, the challenges turned the Grizzlies into a stronger team. 

“All the things that initially should have put us at a disadvantage made us focus on principles and made us better over time,” George said. “We had to change the way we taught the kids, and it made them better. They had to pay more attention to what they did.”

California Grizzlies team with award plaques on stage.
The California Grizzlies Team Dillon Precision team won the Junior Infantry Team Trophy in 2023 with a score of 1248 and placed third overall in the match.

O’Connell and George could have applied their skill and success to something other than young marksmen, but they believe the extra effort they put into the Grizzlies pays off in winning records and successful kids, some of whom eventually became members of the Army Marksmanship Unit. 

“What I like best about teaching juniors is, the ones we have usually stay around a while. We get them from 12 or 13-years old to college,” O’Connell said. “We watch them grow and get better each year. You don’t mind putting time into them because they’re developing.” 

Learn more about the California Grizzlies at https://www.calgrizzlies.org. Find a CMP Affiliated Club near you by searching our website at https://thecmp.org/clubs/search-clubs/.

Bickar Achieves Dual Victories with Late Mother’s Pistol

By Jennifer Green, CMP Feature Writer

John Bickar of Menlo Park, California, made his return to Camp Perry after 22 years, competing for the 10th time in the National Matches. He had an impressive performance at the 2023 National Pistol Matches, most notably winning the President’s 100 with a score of 386-13X and taking home the Oglethorpe trophy on his team, CRPA Scarlet, with a score of 1106-21X.  Scores like that take work, and he was able to achieve success with training, preparation, support from his team, and a lifelong dedication to the sport.  

Bickar poses with his mother’s pistol next to the President’s 100 Pistol Trophy.

The 1911 pistol Bickar used in the match holds extra meaning for him. With his personal gun at the gunsmith for maintenance due to 30 years of use, he pulled his mother Judy’s pistol out of the safe to use in practice and matches.  His scores kept going up with his mom’s pistol and at a certain point he decided to use it as his main gun. He explained, “It was really meaningful for me to shoot that gun and win the Oglethorpe Trophy with my team, and to be able to win the President’s Match with it.” Before she passed away in 2003, Judy had earned 6 points while pursuing her Distinguished Pistol Badge.

Judy Bickar (center), firing her pistol at the Canton McKinley Rifle & Pistol Club (July 1998).
Frank Bickar, of the Canton McKinley Rifle & Pistol Club was the 1984 Ohio State Outdoor Pistol Champion.

Judy and John weren’t the only Bickars to shoot pistol. John’s dad Frank, who passed away in 1994, was the president of the Canton McKinley Rifle and Pistol Club in Canton, Ohio for 17 years and the Memorial Canton CMP Championship is named for him. John grew up watching his dad shoot in matches, eventually deciding that it might be more fun to shoot than to watch.  

While shooting the 2023 President’s 100 and NTI Matches, he noticed some kids hanging around with their dads. It reminded him of the early days with his own father, whose advice carried him through the tough President’s 100 Match. “My father used to say, you don’t shoot for your average, shoot for your personal best every match. That’s what I do.” 

Left to right: Judy, John and Frank Bickar in October 1992. Note: This photo was taken in 1992 and the pistols were unloaded. Photography protocol at the time did not dictate that shooters keep their fingers outside the trigger guard on downrange shots.

In addition, using his father’s wisdom, Bickar was able to utilize his years of training to stay mentally prepared throughout his matches. “I had to manage my expectations and energy level… making sure I’m bringing my best self to the line all the time. Not getting too low or too high.”  

John experienced a high point when he learned that he had placed first in the President’s 100 and was waiting for the NTI to start. His teammate Matt helped him stay focused as his adrenaline spiked. “I still needed to bring in a new good number for my team.” 

John earned his Distinguished Pistol Badge #1017 in 1993 at the age of 16, the youngest to do so at the time. He continued to shoot pistol in college, competing in International style shooting and moving into the Olympic Training Center where he lived and trained for five years.  

During that time, he traveled to many competitions including World Championships, Pan American Games, Championship of the Americas, and World Cup, all while continuing to shoot Bullseye Pistol.  He earned his Distinguished International Badge #446 in 2001, adding to his accomplishments, and in 2018, Bickar earned his Distinguished Rifleman Badge #2385. John also earned the .22 Rimfire Pistol Distinguished Badge #25 in 2016.

Although Bickar has many individual accomplishments, deservedly so, he is much more interested in supporting his team.  He is a team player through and through, in fact, every time I tried to track him down for a photo after he won the President’s 100, John was busy focusing on his teams, CRPA Scarlet and Ultradot. 

Frank and John Bickar with their trophies at the Stark County Pistol League Banquet (April 1992).

Jordan Kramp, Brian Mason, and Matthew Early joined forces with Bickar and set their sights on winning the Oglethorpe Trophy, which is awarded to the highest scoring civilian team in the National Trophy Pistol Team Match. A California team hasn’t won it since 1985, and CRPA Scarlet was determined to break that 38-year streak. 

Since the fall of 2022, the team has been training and preparing in northern California. They would text each other with encouragement and keep positive attitudes.  When the day of the match came, the weather was less than favorable, raining nearly all day, mostly in a steady downpour.  John joked, “Usually it’s called precision pistol, that day we called it attrition pistol.”  Even with rain gear everybody was soaked to the bone, squinting through raindrops to see their sights, and relying on their teammates to push through each shot with a positive mindset.

The California Rifle and Pistol Association Scarlet team won the Oglethorpe Trophy in 2023.

The rain was no match for CRPA Scarlet. They carried on business as usual, depending on each other to do exactly as they planned, “Go up there and shoot, do your job, do what you know how to do and get it done.” The team was victorious, they won the Oglethorpe Trophy and placed second overall, just behind the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit Blue Team.  John added, “I’m really proud to shoot with these three gentlemen, it was the highlight, more so than winning the President’s Match.”

If you are interested in shooting Bullseye Pistol, John recommends entering matches at your local club. The pistol shooting community is excited to share their passion with newer folks.  Just last week, Bickar witnessed pistol competitor, Jonathan Shue, running up and down the line looking for a .22 conversion magazine for another competitor who was having malfunctions. All while he was shooting his own match. “The beauty of this sport is that people will bend over backwards to help you. Just get out there and shoot!”

I’ll leave you with John’s rules. In order, they are: show up, be safe, have fun. Everything else is gravy. 

To find a local match or clinic, visit the CMP website at https://ct.thecmp.org/app/v1/index.php?do=match&task=search.