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GRAFENWOEHR, Germany – Some 22 candidates from U.S. Army organizations across Europe initiated a week of intense competition designed to determine Europe’s “Best Warrior” Sept. 13 at Grafenwoehr’s Camp Aachen.
The annual weeklong European Best Warrior Competition, the most prestigious and most demanding competitive event in the region, runs through Sept. 18.
The event will determine not only regional bragging rights but the final entrants into the Department of the Army “Best Warrior” Competition, slated for Oct. 5-9 at Fort A.P. Hill in Virginia.
Competitors represent U.S. military commands across Europe, including the 21st Theater Sustainment Command and 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command, both headquartered in Kaiserslautern; the 2nd Cavalry Regiment, based in Vilseck; the 5th Signal Command, headquartered in Wiesbaden; the 12th Combat Aviation Brigade, based in Ansbach; the Joint Multinational Training Command, headquartered in Grafenwoehr; the Landstuhl-based Europe Regional Medical Command; NATO Brigade, headquartered at Sembach, and the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, based in Vicenza, Italy.
Candidates face a grueling, action-packed schedule including daunting competitive tasks – most of them conducted in the field. They’re evaluated on tasks and events including an obstacle course, day and night land navigation, weapons assembly and marksmanship, urban orienteering, tactical communications, a medical scenario, a situational training exercise and a foot march as well as the Army Physical Fitness Test. Competitors respond to chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosive threats, react to direct and indirect fire, write essays, demonstrate familiarity with Army programs, appear before a military board, compete in a “combatives” tournament and even respond to questions from roving “reporters.”
Evaluated events began almost immediately upon candidates’ arrival in Camp Aachen Sunday, Sept. 13. After a welcome and introductory briefing from Command Sgt. Maj. Sheryl Lyon, the U.S. Army Europe senior enlisted leader, competitors went right to work on essays and training scenarios. Intense field training starts first thing the next morning and will continue relentlessly almost literally until the closing ceremony slated for the ensuing Friday afternoon.
Key enlisted leaders from the 21st TSC planned, organized and headed conduct of the competition on behalf of USAREUR headquarters. Command Sgt. Maj. Rodney Rhoades, the TSC’s senior enlisted leader and key event organizer, assembled a team spanning virtually the entire regional Army community to conduct the competition.
Event officials will unveil the year’s top junior officer, noncommissioned officer and Soldier during the culminating ceremony. Key USAREUR and 21st TSC leaders as well as invited guests from across the region will participate in the ceremony.
“This isn’t merely ‘training,’” Rhoades said just prior to the start of the event. “This is about selecting the best candidate to represent USAREUR, compete and win at DA level. These competitors are all superbly trained warriors. I’m proud of our role in developing them and look forward to an outstanding performance at Fort A.P. Hill next month.”
The CSM also described the competition as an ideal developmental opportunity for the team he built to conduct the event.
“We volunteered to conduct this competition for USAREUR for a couple of reasons,” he said. “Firstly, we wanted to integrate our Soldiers and formations into the broader military community – this offers another demonstration of how we fit into our larger Army team and a ‘Strong Europe.’ Secondly, it provides a perfect opportunity for ‘Team 21’ to plan, organize and execute a world-class event with DA-level implications. This is a pretty enormous undertaking, but it accomplishes precisely what the commanding general is trying to achieve – what better way to develop leaders and ready-strong professionals?”
| Date Taken: | 09.13.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 09.13.2015 15:25 |
| Story ID: | 175907 |
| Location: | GRAFENWOEHR, DE |
| Web Views: | 101 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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