Photo By Master Sgt. Jeff Lowry | Indiana National Guard soldiers fight in a paintball tournament as part of the 8th...... read more read more
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KNIGHTSTOWN, Ind. - Approximately 60 Indiana National Guard recruits from around the state competed in a 48-hour event called the Warrior Challenge, Oct. 12 through Oct. 14, 2012.
The state's Recruit Sustainment Program held the 8th annual competition that tested the warriors' physical and mental abilities.
It's a culmination of all the training that the Indiana National Guard provides for Soldiers preparing for basic and advanced training, said Master Sgt. Travis Holcomb, noncommissioned officer in charge of the competition.
The competition consisted of warrior skills from the routine to the extraordinary. The recruits had to have their paperwork in order, their dog tags and their identification cards. Yet they were challenged with an annual physical fitness test, an obstacle course, first aid knowledge, weapons assembly, a water crossing, a road march and a 50-question, written exam.
The recruits, or warriors as they are called, came from around the state, and they formed teams based on where they drill; Fort Wayne, Muncie, Evansville, Scottsburg, Lafayette, Indianapolis, Brazil, South Bend and Gary.
The recruiters selected the warriors, based on previous regional competitions, for the state-level challenge.
"It's the best of the best. It takes our best, our brightest, our future that are going to be going in the ranks of the National Guard," said Holcomb of the warriors in the challenge. "It tests their skills really in all aspects: mentally, physically and, by the end of it, emotionally as well.”
Holcomb, who has had a hand in all eight Warrior Challenges, said they get bigger and better every year.
The Warrior Challenge tests the full parameter of a Soldier’s skill set, said Holcomb.
“Within the ranks of the RSP, this is a serious, serious event right here,” said Holcomb. “That traveling trophy means a lot to the RSP sites. They take a lot of pride in that.”
The challenge brought out the best in the recruits, and they saw it as a way to not only hone their skills individually, but also the Army’s as a whole.
“I think more importantly it shows, as a whole Army, not just a detachment or state, that we stay sharp,” said Pvt. Geoffrey Strelec, a member of the Fort Wayne team. “Yeah it's a competition, we compete against each other, but it's really a training tool. It shows the strength of the Army. It's an all-around good event.”
This year, for the third year in row, the Fort Wayne team took home the traveling trophy.
A recruiter who helped select the winning Fort Wayne teams and mentor them throughout the challenges also saw value in the recruit program and challenge.
“We are training these soldiers to be the next best leaders of this organization,” said Staff Sgt. David Grimm. “These are the people who live and serve in our communities, and we’re showing the leaders of Indiana that their money, time and effort are well worth it.”
| Date Taken: | 10.13.2012 |
| Date Posted: | 10.17.2012 11:50 |
| Story ID: | 96316 |
| Location: | KNIGHTSTOWN, IN, US |
| Web Views: | 531 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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