Brent Obenour was considered an outstanding student and athlete at Kenton Senior High School in Kenton, Ohio. He participated on the football and track teams and lettered multiple teams in each sport. He accepted an appointment to the Naval Academy and joined the Class of 1978 in July of 1974.
Brent Obenour arrived at the Naval Academy and during Plebe Summer shot the highest score in the Plebe pistol qualification course. Based on his score, and encouraged by the Pistol Coach, he joined the plebe pistol team.
Brent Obenour made the Naval Academy Varsity Pistol Team the remaining three years at the Naval Academy. During Second Class summer he was one of four Naval Academy shooters who won the Alden Partridge Award. This award goes to the top service academy or ROTC pistol team at the National Championships at Camp Perry, Ohio. It was the first time a Naval Academy team had won this award.
Brent Obenour made the Naval Academy Varsity Pistol Team the remaining three years at the Naval Academy. Brent Obenour was one of four regular shooters whose scores counted for record purposes. The Naval Academy Pistol Team dominated for the three seasons he made varsity. The team was 11-1, 12-0, and 9-1 for the 1976, 1977, and 1978 seasons respectively, beating Army in 1977. Brent was a shooting member of the three-person team that set a national collegiate record in International Pistol in 1978. In both his Junior and Senior years at the Naval Academy, Brent was selected to the First-Team Intercollegiate All American Pistol Team. In 1977 Brent was presented an award by the Commandant of Midshipman for being the top marksman in the brigade because of his performance in the brigade rifle and pistol matches. Brent Obenour was selected as one of twelve Class of 1978 inductees into the US Naval Academy Sports Hall of Fame.
Brent earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from the Naval Academy and a Master of Science degree in Information Systems from Johns Hopkins University. Brent’s Naval career began as a Navy diver where he became a saturation diver. As a Lieutenant he volunteered for submarine duty and was selected by Admiral Rickover to enter the Navy Nuclear Power Program. He subsequently served on the USS Parche (SSN[1]683). After nearly seven years of active duty, Brent joined the Naval Reserve and completed a 30-year career as a Captain. His reserve duties included recall and assignment to the Middle East for Operation Desert Storm and command of four reserve units.
Brent Obenour did not shoot competitively for twenty years following graduation. In 1999 he joined the US Navy Reserve Marksmanship Team as a Captain and competed in several Fleet and All-Navy competitions until his retirement in 2008. In 2003 and again in 2007, Brent was the top overall shooter at the All-Navy East matches, combining his pistol and service rifle expertise. He was also awarded the Don Hamilton award twice for being the top pistol shooter at the Atlantic Fleet Championship matches. The Secretary of the Navy awards M1 Garand Rifles annually for top shooters at these matches and Brent was awarded fourteen rifles between 1999 and 2008. He was designated as a Distinguished Pistol and Rifle marksman and is entitled to wear these badges on his Navy uniform. With records dating back to the 1920’s, there are less than 175 Navy shooters that have achieved this Double Distinguished milestone.