Photo By Staff Sgt. Melissa Parrish | Kosovo Forces Command Sgt. Maj. Maurizio D’Alessandro leads the first lap in the 5k...... read more read more
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PRISTINA, Kosovo - It is the first lap of the three mile run and as the service members round the corner, each sporting a different nation’s uniform, they are in a group all running together with Kosovo Forces Command Sgt. Maj. Maurizio D’Alessandro as the pacer.
This is the first Multinational Challenge and seven nations participated in the five-part event at Camp Film City in Pristina, Kosovo, Dec. 16 and 17. The challenge included a 5k run, three-minute rowing on a rowing machine, map reading, calling in a 9-line medical evacuation and assessing a casualty.
The first day was designated for noncommissioned officers and the second day was held for the junior enlisted soldiers of the many nations.
Command Sgt. Maj. Alex Nelson, U.S. Balkans National Support Element command sergeant major, and D’Alessandro planned the event together.
“We decided to invite 31 nations out for the challenge today,” said Nelson. “We all work together on a day-to-day basis, and what better way to bring everyone together than by having a challenge?”
Camaraderie was the main goal of the challenge for both sergeant majors.
“We want to build a team, and we want them to do tough challenging things so that we can all learn and build together,” said Nelson.
Of the 31 nations invited, U.S., Austria, Poland, Greece, Germany, Italy and Slovenia participated in the challenge.
Marine Sgt. Shana Mendoza, a native of Waco, Texas, and administration clerk with U.S. Balkans National Support Element, partook in the NCO challenge on the first day and faced a female Austrian military police officer.
“I had good competition,” said Mendoza. “She is in great shape and really pushed herself. We all pushed ourselves.”
As the rowing challenge began, all of the soldiers gathered around each competitor to cheer them on. Mendoza was beside every rower shouting words of encouragement.
“It was motivating,” said Mendoza. “I wasn’t sure how they would respond to me beside them, pushing them, but they were listening to what I was telling them and they all shook my hand at the end of the challenge.”
Mendoza placed second in the challenge but said she would train harder for the next competition.
On the second day, the junior enlisted soldiers tackled the challenge.
U.S. Army Spc. Antonio Kelly, a native of Camden, Arkansas, and a human resource specialist with 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division completed the 5k in first place, but as the day progressed he knew he would have to work hard if he wanted to win it all.
“The physical part was not a challenge for me,” said Kelly. “Fitness is my strong suit. I had to really prepare for the map reading and medical evacuation portion of the challenge.”
Although, Kelly did not win over all and placed third, he was glad he competed.
“I felt like this was a great morale booster and a way for us to see how the other nations handle challenges,” said Kelly. “It made me push harder to be the best when I knew other nations were watching. I wanted to show them how 4/25 does business.”
This is Kelly’s first deployment, and he said he is happy to be in a joint environment where he can learn from other nations and compete against them in challenges like this one.
“It’s a different atmosphere from Alaska,” said Kelly. “In Alaska, I know who I work with and how they operate. Here, they are from all over the world, and I’ve had to learn how they do things and learn about different cultures.”
“I’ve been pushed to do things I didn’t even think I was capable of doing, but I did them and I am grateful for the push,” said Kelly.
Overall, the competitors agreed that this was a challenge that they will participate in again.
D’Alessandro and Nelson are pushing to make this an ongoing challenge and hope the participation will continue to grow.
“I think this will grow into something much bigger,” said Nelson. “People are talking about it.”
“I think the biggest take away from this challenge was the sportsmanship,” said Nelson. “All of the service members from different countries were rooting for each other, cheering each other on and in a time when we have turmoil around the world it’s a great thing to see these nations coming together as a team. We were all winners today.”
A Greek Soldier, Georgios Chrysostomidis, came in first from the NCO challenge and the U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Keith O’Shea, NATO Intelligence Center, came in first for the enlisted challenge.
The next competition is slated for March 2015.
| Date Taken: | 12.17.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 12.18.2014 13:45 |
| Story ID: | 150649 |
| Location: | CAMP FILM CITY, ZZ |
| Hometown: | CAMDEN, AR, US |
| Hometown: | WACO, TX, US |
| Web Views: | 427 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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