Soldiers kick off Greywolf 9's Potluck of Pain competition on Forward Operating Base Marez

Photo By Sgt. Christopher Kozloski | Sgt. Jacob Zeise lengthens the gap between himself and his nearest competition. Zeise was the winner of a four mile run, the first event in the Greywolf 9 Potluck of Pain competition which started, Aug. 14 on Forward Operating Base Marez, Iraq. The competition is a biweekly event challenge where competitors accrue points for participating physical fitness events that are not identified until competition days.  

MOSUL, IRAQ

08.14.2009

Story by Sgt. Christopher Kozloski 

3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division

MOSUL, Iraq — As the sun rose just over the Mosul horizon early morning, Aug. 14, so did Soldiers from 3rd "Greywolf" Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division. They rose and answered the call of the brigade command sergeant major to test their mettle against a battery of physical challenges.

Command Sgt. Major James Pippin, the 3rd Bde. command sergeant major, issued a formal challenge to the Soldiers in 3rd Bde. to compete in a series of physical fitness events spanning through the end of their deployment in Iraq.

Dubbed "Greywolf 9's Potluck of Pain," the biweekly competition kicked off with a grueling four mile run. The course chosen offered hill after rolling hill, thoroughly testing cardiovascular endurance while strengthening camaraderie and bolstering esprit de corps between the approximately 90 Soldiers that competed.

"I think this was a good idea," said Pfc. Andrew Horn from B. Field Maintenance Company, 215th Brigade Support Battalion and native of Dover, Pennsylvania. "It was a good run. It was definitely competitive. We came out here as a [unit] to win."

The winner of the four mile run, Sgt. Jacob Zeise, bested his competition by only seconds as they pushed across the finish line. He admitted that his competitive edge is what sparked his interest in the competition.

"What drove me to compete is being number 1." said Zeise, a native of Canby, Ore. "There's no room for number 2."

Command Sgt. Major Pippin gathered all the competitors around after the last runner crossed the finish line and commended them for having the fortitude to compete. He was impressed with the turnout and overall performance of the Soldiers during the event.

"The turnout was higher than I expected. It was good to see so many people show up," said Command Sgt. Major Pippin, "However, I was disappointed in the maneuver battalions. They didn't turn out for the event. They all must have been scared to come out and compete."

Starting with this event, Soldiers will voluntarily compete biweekly in the Potluck of Pain to earn points that will be tallied at the end of 3rd Brigade's deployment. The competition is designed to score events based on level of difficulty; the harder the event the more points it is worth. If a Soldier competes in the event, he or she earns points for that event. The events are chosen by Command Sgt. Major Pippin and kept a secret until each competition day.

When asked what sparked the idea for the Potluck of Pain, Command Sgt. Major Pippin said, "Competition like this forces you to push yourself. When you push harder, you make yourself that much better."

When the Potluck of Pain is over, Command Sgt. Major Pippin will reward the overall winner for their hard work and dedication. Although, in keeping with the tradition of the competition, he declined to reveal what that reward would be. Instead, they will find out what their reward will be the day of the awards ceremony.

• Date Taken: 08.14.2009
• Date Posted: 08.18.2009 10:57
• Story ID: 37646
• Location: MOSUL, IQ