Photo By Sgt. Carl King | Lance Cpl. Adam Strayhorn takes an infantry knowledge test during a squad competition...... read more read more
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CAMP HANSEN, Japan- A famous poet by the name of Mattie Stepanek once said “Unity is strength... when there is teamwork and collaboration, wonderful things can be achieved.”
A group of highly trained warriors recently put that quote to the test.
Marines with Alpha Company, Battalion Landing Team 1st Battalion 5th Marines, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, worked together to prove which squad was top dog during a company-level squad competition.
“So it is basically an evaluation of all the squads in the company,” said 1st Lt. Colton Morgan, a platoon commander with Alpha Co., BLT 1/5, 31st MEU. “We’re putting them through nine different scenarios just to test their mental ability, infantry knowledge and physical endurance.”
Morgan, the officer in charge of the competition, planned out the entire event with basic infantry knowledge in the forefront of his mind.
“As the OIC, after talking to the platoon sergeants, I had to develop an endurance-based course with nine different stations thinking about what’s really important for these guys to know,” said Morgan, a native of Madisonville, Texas.
The nine scenarios in the squad competition consisted of a 3-mile endurance course, a Cross-fit style workout, an obstacle course, 200 meter swim, a radio programming station, a 20-question basic infantry knowledge test, a battle drill station, a weapons assembly station and a resupply run.
“All of the stations that we had are critical to a good infantryman’s ability and skillset,” said Morgan.
The company’s platoon sergeants and squad leaders were up for the challenge, understanding the competition would help their squads learn their strengths and weaknesses.
“The main thing I wanted to see was where our guys were at,” said Cpl. Paul Garcia, Sunnyside, Washington, and a squad leader with Alpha Co., BLT 1/5, 31st MEU. “I wanted to see how much knowledge they have retained from previous squad leaders, team leaders and me.”
Garcia’s squad, 1st Squad, 1st Platoon, came out on top with the fastest time after a demanding 4 hours and 20 minutes.
The competition was a well-rounded challenge, with each squad having to face and overcome their own internal obstacles.
Lance Cpl. Travis Good, a rifleman with Alpha Co., BLT 1/5, 31st MEU, said his hardest challenge was the three mile endurance course because they had already done most of the tiring stations.
Though the squads may have had different struggles at different stations, they all learned how to work as a team.
“When you’re training with your squad you have to be real open,” said Good, a native of Papillion, Nebraska. “You have to listen to what your team leader is saying and not be an individual.”
| Date Taken: | 01.21.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 01.27.2016 05:01 |
| Story ID: | 186931 |
| Location: | CAMP HANSEN, OKINAWA, JP |
| Hometown: | MADISONVILLE, TX, US |
| Hometown: | PAPILLION, NE, US |
| Hometown: | SUNNYSIDE, WA, US |
| Web Views: | 117 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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