MRTC hosts Best Warrior Competition ahead of ARMEDCOM event

Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Tony Lindback | Soldiers from the Medical Readiness and Training Command, Northeast MARSG, Southeast MARSG, Central MARSG and Western MARSG perform a timed ruck march as part of the Best Warrior Competition for their respective commands at Camp Bullis, Texas, 11 Feb., 2017. (Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Tony M. Lindback, MRTC Public Affairs.)  

SAN ANTONIO, TX, UNITED STATES

02.12.2017

Story by Sgt. 1st Class Tony Lindback 

Medical Readiness and Training Command

Managing the consolidated competition for all five of the commands created efficiencies in planning, staffing and execution.
“It’s very economical. The reason why is it lessens the support staff,” said Command Sgt. Maj. Kenneth Mudd, 3rd Bde., MRTC. “You have one support staff for the entire group instead of each group having to have its own support staff.”
Arriving from locations around the country, the diversity of the competitors ranged from private first class to sergeant first class, and matched the diversity of Camp Bullis’ rocky and brush-covered hill-country terrain, with humid days above 80 degrees and nights that dipped into the 30s.
That diversity of the Soldiers; however, is a reason Mudd says these Soldiers are going to be more competitive at the next level – the ARMEDCOM competition, held on Fort Benning, Georgia.
“These Soldiers have already begun to see who their competitors are at the next level. They’ve gotten to see the others and say, ‘He can do this, and he can do that; I’d better get with it,’” said Mudd.
The Soldiers took advantage of being around competitors from the other commands by tapping into each others strengths to help each other improve.
“They’re pretty friendly for people you’ve come to compete with,” said Spc. Sadikshy Silwal, a dental specialist assigned to 7453rd Medical Backfill Battalion, Western MARSG.
“It’s been a good experience making friends. It’s helps to learn. There’s no rivalry, pretty much. It’s like we’re just helping each other out. This would serve as more of an educational opportunity; more like an example,” said Silwal.
“The important thing here is that you showed up,” said Command Sgt. Maj. Ian Coyle, MRTC , as he spoke with the competitors.
“Whether you win the competition for your command or not, I am truly inspired to see that each of you raised your hands and took on this challenge. This is physically and mentally tough. Take your experiences here back to your units. Arm yourself and your fellow Soldiers with the knowledge you take back because even though winning is great, this is the kind of stuff we have to know so we can be ready to fight tonight, as Lt. Gen. (Charles D.) Luckey says,” Coyle said.
Coyle was one of many sergeants major to offer words of experience and motivation to the competitors, but he was the only one to run the 4-mile ruck march route with the competitors.
“I had to do it,” Coyle said. “I love (physical training). I know I’ve got to do things differently now that I have an issue in my hip, but I still wanted to finish the course first.”
In all, the competition included an Army Physical Fitness Test, several Warrior Tasks, day and night land navigation, appearing before a board, working as a team at the leader reaction course, a written exam and essay, Military Operation in Urban Terrain and the timed ruck march.
Winning junior enlisted and noncommissioned officers from each MARSG and the MRTC will be able to compete at the ARMEDCOM Best Warrior Competition at Fort Benning, Ga., in early March.
Winners from each command are: Sgt. 1st Class Billie Wilson II, MRTC; Staff Sgt. David Terrell, Central MARSG; Sgt. Ricardo Correa, Western MARSG; Sgt. Terrelle Fields, Northeast MARSG; Spc. Paige Anderson, Central MARSG; Spc. Lucas Ivarie, Southeast MARSG; Spc. Joshua Seeberger, Western MARSG.

• Date Taken: 02.12.2017
• Date Posted: 02.28.2017 21:42
• Story ID: 225274
• Location: SAN ANTONIO, TX, US