Photo By Pvt. Hunter Eastman | Sergeant Aaron Chavers, 198th Army Band, 99th Readiness Division, participates in the...... read more read more
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Competitors earned points to their overall standing in the competition based on their performance in the marksmanship events and their ability to complete the ruck march in the shortest time possible.
Contenders for the Best Warrior crown only received nine rounds to zero their rifles, followed by standard pop-up rifle and pistol qualification ranges. After a quick lunch and with little chance to dry out from the rainy, frigid conditions they then marched 10 kilometers to their Forward Operating Base with full packs and tactical gear weighing more than 30 pounds.
“These competitions feed into readiness, because it promotes healthy Soldier activities,” said Command Sgt. Maj. Jeffrey G. Darlington, command sergeant major of the 80th TC. “The competition is secondary in my mind because this is truly a training event for everybody that attends.”
Contestants also see the training value of participating in a Best Warrior Competition up close and personal.
“I’ve found that a lot of errors I’ve made here, I’m learning from them and I’ll take that knowledge back to my unit as future training opportunities,” said Sgt. Dennis Glass, a competitor from the 99th RSC. “I’ve learned to adapt and adjust to multiple training environments, and it simulates real-world scenarios very well.”
Soldiers hone basic warrior skills such as how to move in a tactical formation, marksmanship, and first aid during competitions like this one, and become more effective force multipliers in their units.
Even in the heat of the competition against each other and themselves, the contenders also potentially form life-long bonds forged in the crucible of a Best Warrior Competition.
“As the days go on and the more tired they get, and the more time they spend together, by the end they’ll have exchanged phone numbers and emails, and just be ready to be lifelong friends,” said Darlington. “I’m sure there’s going to be a few of those friendships made during the three days here.”
Both the current standings and the future events remain a mystery to the competitors to keep them on their toes and forge those bonds.
After the ruck march, Soldiers will then be tested on a series of practical warrior tasks to conclude the second day of competition.
The 80th TC and 99th RSC Combined Best Warrior competition is scheduled to continue Wednesday, April 5, 2017, with more events to challenge the contestants’ Soldier skills and test their might.
| Date Taken: | 04.04.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 04.04.2017 16:20 |
| Story ID: | 229187 |
| Location: | FORT DEVENS, MA, US |
| Web Views: | 33 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Day Two of the 80th TC and 99th RSC Combined Best Warrior Competition, by SGT Thomas Belton, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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