Photo By Master Sgt. Gary Witte | Seven Reserve Soldiers from five different units started their Wednesday with a ruck...... read more read more
FORT MCCLELLAN, Ala. - After five days of military skill contests, fitness events and seemingly random road marches at Fort McClellan, Ala., the 642nd Regional Support Group announced the winners of its annual Best Warrior competition Saturday, Jan. 31.
U.S. Army Spc. Kyle K. Meheula of Kalihi, Hawaii, a mechanic with the 642nd Regional Support Group, earned the title of Soldier of the Year. Sgt. Shane M. Mathews of LaGrange, Georgia, a paralegal for the 352nd Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, became the brigade’s 2015 Noncommissioned Officer of the Year.
Both Reserve Soldiers are now scheduled to compete in the 143rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) Best Warrior competition held in March. Both said they enjoyed the January contest, yet it tested their limits.
“It’s painful, but there’s nothing to do but drive on,” Mathews said during the competition.
The seven participants in the 642nd Regional Support Group competition faced unconventional challenges, starting when it was announced the printed schedule would not be used. Instead, events arrived throughout the week without warning, leaving the Soldiers to guess at what would happen from hour to hour.
“Everything is just constant,” Meheula said during a short break at the rifle range. “You really don’t know what to study for the next event.”
Not even the Soldiers’ sponsors knew what would occur during any given day. The Soldiers had neither smart phones nor timepieces. They also never knew how far they would have to travel during any given ruck march.
“They don’t know if they’re going three miles, six miles or 12 miles,” 642nd Regional Support Group Command Sgt. Maj. Zimmerman said. “My goal in Best Warrior is to see who has the most heart.”
The trials were many and varied. A couple of hours after their evening arrival, the competitors were told to dress in their PT uniforms. They then took the Army Physical Fitness Test with their rifles in hand. This was followed by a change of uniform and a several-mile ruck march.
The Soldiers wore their helmets and individual body armor for most of the competition. Another morning ruck march was followed by a timed circuit event that included exercises such as dragging a tire, a low crawl, high crawl, hauling boxes of MREs across the field and a grenade throw for accuracy.
Spc. Jason J. Hulse of Augusta, Georgia, a maintenance specialist with the 377th Quartermaster Company, said the circuit, which lasted anywhere from ten to 15 minutes for each Soldier, was tough to complete.
“That hurt,” he said. “[My mind] was telling me this was the hardest thing I would be doing for some time now.”
Pfc. Tyshaun A. Hubbard of Auburn, Alabama, a maintenance specialist with the 803rd Quartermaster Company, pointed out that they had to run from one exercise to the next throughout the circuit course.
“That was a real endurance test,” he said, adding that he saw the competition as a good way to challenge himself.
Even their time at the range had additional twists, with stress firing and grouping contests in addition to normal qualification shooting. The Soldiers repeatedly had to disassemble and reassemble their rifles – sometimes while blindfolded. On another evening, each were given footlockers filled with parts from three different weapon systems and timed on how fast they were able to put all of them back together.
Mathews said the numerous tasks made certain they were not just skilled in one aspect of the military.
“You have to be a diverse Soldier in this competition,” he said.
Written essays were followed by ruck marches. Memory games provided the Soldiers a minute or so to look at a table of random items without taking notes, then had them list as many as they could hours later. An examination board led by the command sergeant major quizzed participants not just on their knowledge, but also gave them stressful hypothetical situations to deal with.
While every Soldier had an individual sponsor to encourage them throughout the contest, two of the competitors had a closer ally.
Spc. Ashlei Austin and Spc. Amber Austin are twin sisters. Both are from Philadelphia, both are supply specialists with the 282nd Quartermaster Company and both were competing for the Best Warrior title.
The two joined the Army together and even went to basic training together, both to help pay for schooling and continue a military tradition in their family.
“We work better together,” Ashlei Austin said. “It’s like a permanent battle buddy”
She said the ruck marches became more difficult after straining a muscle in the second one, but did not let it stop her from completing both the marches and the overall competition. She said she would definitely recommend to others that they participate in a Best Warrior.
“Being here is basically a test,” Ashlei Austin said. “You’re testing yourself. If you can do this, you can do anything.”
Amber Austin said while doing a PT test with a rifle was the most shocking occurrence, the circuit training course was surprising in its own way.
“It built confidence,” she said. “I did things I didn’t know I could do…I think this whole thing will give people insight on bettering yourself.”
Sgt. Lewis Johnson III of Elgin, Illinois, a supply sergeant for the 282nd Quartermaster Company, said he also found the competition to be rigorous. He said the fact they never knew what event would be next was realistic training.
“In the real world battlefield, you don’t have an idea when anything is coming,” Johnson said.
After it was over, Zimmerman praised the competitors for their constant efforts.
“If this year’s competition had been an assessment and selection course, I would have selected every one of our competitors,” he said. “They all displayed incredible strength, discipline, courage, stamina and warrior skills.”
Meheula said he was surprised at his win and pointed to the constant support provided by his sponsor, Staff Sgt. Stephen Mares of Houston, Texas.
“He really pushed me further than I thought I could do,” Meheula said, adding that even when he was at his lowest, Mares told him he had a chance to win. “That encouraged me to work harder and harder every event.”
Mathews said he plans to upgrade his training for the next competition by wearing a weighted vest at his job as a supervisor at a home improvement store. He also plans to keep the Army study guide within reach.
“It’ll be fun,” he said. “I might as well take it as far as I can.”
| Date Taken: | 01.31.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 02.08.2015 22:56 |
| Story ID: | 153975 |
| Location: | FORT MCCLELLAN, AL, US |
| Hometown: | AUBURN, AL, US |
| Hometown: | AUGUSTA, GA, US |
| Hometown: | ELGIN, IL, US |
| Hometown: | KALIHI, HI, US |
| Hometown: | LAGRANGE, GA, US |
| Hometown: | PHILADELPHIA, PA, US |
| Web Views: | 176 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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