Photo By Staff Sgt. Tori Miller | U.S. Army Sgt. Cooper Hulse, a cavalry scout assigned to the Hawaii Army National...... read more read more
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On July 7, 2023, 14 National Guard Soldiers, representing 13 states and all seven regions across the United States, began a grueling six-day competition that would push their mental and physical abilities to the limit. Competitors' preparations for this competition began long before arriving in Anchorage, Alaska.
The 2023 Army National Guard Best Warrior Competition, hosted by the Alaska National Guard at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, tests our forces and Soldiers adaptiveness and lethality. The Soldiers that compete at this level have sacrificed their personal and professional time to conduct training to prepare and compete at the state, regional and national levels in the Best Warrior Competitions.
“These Soldiers have already had to commit to come here, so they have already done some training to lead up to this, “ said Command Sgt. Maj. John Raines, Command Sgt. Maj. of the Army National Guard and host of the 2023 Army National Guard Best Warrior Competition. “These are traditional Guardsmen, for the most part, so they have jobs, they are in schools but they have to commit to probably three months of training during the year. It's a huge commitment for a Soldier to tell their civilian employer they need to take off three months to do Army stuff.”
After the close of the Army National Guard Best Warrior Competition, five competitors will advance to thel Army Best Squad Competition. The winning noncommissioned officer will be the squad leader of the team. The team will train for 40 days at the Warrior Training Center at Fort Moore, Georgia to prepare for the Army competition .
The competitors come from a large diversity of military occupations and a wide spectrum of civilian professions, including full-time college students, an analyst, a police deputy and firefighter, an arborist and more. These Soldiers must consistently communicate their mission and intent with their employers and families while preparing for this competition.
“It’s all been on him (Spc. Jackson Jacobs), he is putting in the work,” said Tom Jacobs, father of Spc. Jackson Jacobs, representing the Soldiers of Region III and Tennessee National Guard at the Army National Guard Best Warrior Competition. “He had to sacrifice his semester of college to prepare for all of the different events.”
From the perspective of a National Guard Soldier, communication is critical in preparation and during their journey. The Army recognizes this as the Golden Triangle, a balance between Soldiering, family, and leadership.
“The common thread is communication,” said Raines. “No matter the balance, they need to let the people they live with, work with, and serve with, know that they have commitments. Being able to communicate that they are out here training to be better Soldiers so they can better protect our way of life and this country.”
The leadership planning this event emphasizes the importance of communication and being intentional when balancing personal life with training for the national competition. As traditional Guardsmen, these competitors train not only during their drill weekends but often after they get off work from their civilian jobs, non-drill weekends.
“As Guardsmen Soldiers have to spend time during lunch breaks, and after work training,” said Raines. “Our active duty component can regularly get access to all of the training and supplies, but as Guardsmen, we have to have a plan and be prepared.”
A Soldier’s success in the national competition and beyond is about being intentional in planning and going beyond focusing on work-life balance. Making time for training is the National Guard way. The competitors at the 2023 National Guard Best Warrior Competition have proved their commitment to Soldiering, what it means to adapt to an ever-changing environment, and go beyond the traditional National Guardsman requirements.
“It is always about being intentional with training,” said Sgt. Maj. Michael Grunst, planning NCOIC for Army National Guard Best Warrior Competition. “The number one thing is training your adaptability. This is what we do as guardsmen, we are civilians and Soldiers. That’s what makes us great.”
| Date Taken: | 07.13.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 07.13.2023 22:12 |
| Story ID: | 449163 |
| Location: | JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, AK, US |
| Web Views: | 146 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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