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by Sgt. Renee Seruntine
CAMP DODGE, Johnston, Iowa – On a cold, windy, three-day weekend in central Iowa, Iowa Army National Guard Soldiers competed in the annual Iowa National Guard Best Warrior Competition. The event took place March 18-20 at Camp Dodge Joint Maneuver Training Center in Johnston, Iowa.
The competition consisted of several events, including weapons qualification, the Army physical fitness test, board interviews, written exams, a 12-mile march with rucksack, and Warrior Tasks and battle drills related to today’s operating environment. Each Soldier had to successfully complete each event for points toward their overall score.
The majority of these 23 Soldiers from across the state were male. However, three females in this year’s event represented their units with confidence and pride.
“Overall it’s a test of your Soldier ability and it’s a challenge. It’s exciting to go out and see where you stand compared to everybody else in the Guard, especially being a female. You get to see exactly where you stand compared to the males,” said Spc. Holly Morrison of Letts, Iowa, an automated logistical specialist with Company B, 334th Brigade Support Battalion, based in Cedar Rapids.
Many female Soldiers welcome the challenge of competing with males, and these women met the challenge head-on.
“I love it; they’re good competition and it’s fun to compete against the males. I think sometimes females are underestimated, so it’s nice to be able to prove that we can step up to the plate. We can perform just as well as a man if not better in some categories,” said Sgt. Allison Knipe of Fort Madison, Iowa, a unit supply specialist, with the 734th Regional Support Group at Camp Dodge.
Stepping up to the plate in this competition required challenging preparation. The participants put in weeks of studying and physical training to perform their best in each event.
“It took me five months to prepare. I spent a lot of time studying for the appearance board and the written test, and spent two to three hours a day doing physical fitness training to get into shape. It’s important to put in time on the treadmill, running the two miles, and practicing for the road march, since it was during the winter,” said Knipe.
Females performing in this competition feel they belong and can meet any challenge asked of them. They believe in themselves, and their units fully support them as they help them prepare.
“There are some events in this competition that naturally, I think I’ll be better at, such as the exam and the appearance boards. I hope I can be an inspiration to other females who want to do something like this. I use competing against males as my motivation every day, and if I’m the underdog, then I feel I have to show somebody up,” said Morrison, who placed third in the Soldier of the Year competition.
These female Soldiers are confident they did their best, giving their male counterparts a run for their money. Through the intensive preparation and spirited competition, they became better Soldiers and will continue to push themselves to improve on a daily basis.
“The competition makes you learn a lot about yourself mentally, physically and emotionally, and it pushes you to want to lead people to be better. It has been a great learning process,” said Knipe.
| Date Taken: | 03.25.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 03.25.2016 10:39 |
| Story ID: | 193519 |
| Location: | JJOHNSTON, IA, US |
| Hometown: | FORT MADISON, IA, US |
| Hometown: | LETTS, IA, US |
| Web Views: | 172 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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