Soldiers and Airmen go the distance in Strong Warrior competition

Courtesy Photo | Soldiers from the pull a HMMWV during the recent "Strong Warrior" competition at Forward Operating Base Warrior, Iraq. (Photo submitted by 145 Support Battalion)  

KIRKUK, IRAQ

09.12.2005

Courtesy Story

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By Sgt. Jeffery W. Lucas II, 145th Support Battalion Historian

FOB WARRIOR, Iraq -- Soldiers from the 116th Brigade Combat Team and Airmen from the 506th Air Expeditionary Group at FOB Warrior in Kirkuk, Iraq recently participated in a competition of strength and endurance as part of the first Strong Warrior Competition held at Warrior Gym.

Twenty-four soldiers and airmen competed in six exhausting individual and team events. The competition consisted of events with such names as the Iraq Carry and Farmer's Carry to more conventional HMMWV Pull, Hammer Throw, Overhead Press and Tire Flip. The teams improvised on the use of equipment, using a HMMWV instead of a truck for the vehicle pull, a HMMWV spring instead of a hammer, and a 110-pound map of Iraq.

Team "The Big Show", consisting of members of Task Force 3-116 Armor and 145th Support Battalion, started strong by taking the first event, winning the HMMWV pull by pulling the Army work vehicle 75 feet in 13.43 seconds. The second event, the Tire Flip, required that the iron men competitors flip a Light Mechanized Tactical Vehicle tire end over end for a distance of 50 feet, challengers had to flip the tire from the starting line to the finish line as fast as possible.

Staff Sgt. William Tompkins of Bravo Co. tied for second place in the Farmer's Carry, an event for which participants had to carry two iron rims weighing approximately 95 pounds each for a one minute. Staff Sgt. Tompkins carried the two rims for a distance of 400 ft.

The Hammer Throw was next, a feat which requires both strength and precision. A HMMWV spring is thrown backward over the heads of the competitors. Getting the distance necessary to win the event required the strong men to release the spring just at the precise moment in order to maximize distance and minimize height.

The Iraq Carry was a uniquely "Iraq" event with contestants carrying a unique steel weight the shape of a map of Iraq. Soldiers and airmen had to carry the 110 pound map of Iraq as far as they could in a set time.

The overhead press was just that, a competition to see how much weight the contenders could lift over their heads. Spc. Jeffrey Staley from Bravo Company 145th Support Battalion placed fourth in the event with a 225 pound lift, with a weight score calculation of 130.7. Scoring in the competition was based on a calculation of weight of the contestants versus the weight they were able to press.

"This is one of the best events we have ever had," said Brian Lopez, Morale, Welfare, and Recreation Coordinator for KBR. "Five or six soldiers said that this is the best time they had since being in Iraq," Lopez added.

The 116th BCT is comprised of headquarters and staff sections, two armor battalions, a mechanized infantry battalion, a support battalion, a field artillery battalion, an engineer battalion, and various intelligence, signal, and specialized units. The 116th BCT is one of several Army National Guard units deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom III.

• Date Taken: 09.12.2005
• Date Posted: 09.12.2005 12:12
• Story ID: 2976
• Location: KIRKUK, IQ