Courtesy Photo | Riflemen with Chosen Co., 1st Battalion, 66th Armor Regiment, 3rd Armored Brigade...... read more read more
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By Staff Sgt. Ange Desinor
3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division
GRAFENWOEHR TRAINING AREA, Germany – An Infantry squad from Chosen Company, 1st Battalion, 66th Armor Regiment, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, competed in the Lithuanian Best Infantry Squad Competition at Rukla Training Area, Lithuania, Aug. 20-25.
The competition celebrated Lithuanian Land Force traditions and emphasized physical endurance and combat skills to identify the top infantry squad among 15 teams from 10 nations.
The Lithuania National Defense Volunteer Forces team placed first, with a squad from Norway second and one from Latvia finishing third. The team from Chosen Co. finished ninth, and a squad from the 173rd Airborne Brigade also competed.
“I trained the Soldiers who were chosen for the event,” said Staff Sgt. Nicholas Rouse, from Chosen Co. “The Soldiers who were chosen demonstrated the best physical and mental ability from the two platoons in our company that were in Germany at the time of the competition.”
The event provided friendly competition among Allied and partner nations from Lithuania, Belgium/Luxembourg, Denmark, Germany, Latvia, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, and the United States on events unique to the Lithuanian forested landscape.
“Some of the tasks included finding the exact position of a squad on ground using terrain association, crossing obstacles, moving by azimuth, combat shooting, first aid, crossing a water obstacle, target identification, breaching a water obstacle with a rope bridge, grenade throwing, pushing a truck, marking identified explosive devices, and breaching a wooden obstacle with demolitions,” said Rouse.
Some of the lessons learned during the competition were maintaining focus under duress.
“Learning how to adapt and overcome obstacles while maintaining flexibility to accomplish tasks that were blind to us coming into the competition were important aspects of the competition,” said Rouse. “Also working with foreign countries and working through language barrier situations was a little difficult at first, but we managed to get through it.”
The Soldiers didn’t know what to expect when they found out they’d participate in the competition.
“We didn't have a real cut and dry layout of what tasks would be at hand coming into the competition. It’s protocol that way to keep it fair,” said Rouse. “Our Soldiers put in extremely hard work training for this and really wanted to learn everything we taught them.”
He added: “I couldn't be more proud of the Soldiers’ performance during the competition. They were in situations they have never been in before and adapted to and overcame everything that was thrown at them. They gave 110 percent and then some.”
Spc. Isaiah Bautista, a rifleman for Chosen Co., said the event gave his squad an opportunity to hone warrior tasks and battle drills.
“We conducted ruck marches, obstacle courses, stress shoots, land navigation, water obstacle crossings and ramped up our physically fitness before going to Lithuania,” Bautista said.
Sgt. Robert Hayhurst, another Chosen Co. rifleman, felt he was competing alongside NATO forces and not against them, and the camaraderie among the squads was a rewarding experience.
“At the end of the day, regardless of the outcome, as long as our Soldiers tried their hardest, that's all I can ask for,” said Rouse. “That being said, we identified some weak areas and can always improve to be even better. After experiencing the lanes for the competition, if we were given the opportunity to compete again, I’m confident we will push for that top spot.”
| Date Taken: | 08.28.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 08.28.2017 12:02 |
| Story ID: | 246269 |
| Location: | RUKLA, LT |
| Web Views: | 113 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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