Sustainer Challenge challenges sustainers

Photo By Brian Barbour | Sgt. Ahmad M. Mahmoud of Houston, Texas, and Sgt. Ronald Marshall from New Orleans, La., use each other's support to rest during in between events at the 3rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) Sustainer Challenge at Joint Base Balad, Iraq, March 18. The 391st Combat Service Support Battalion Soldiers were waiting their team's turn to compete in the humvee tire change after finishing the 5k road March and weapons familiarization and firing events earlier that morning.  

BALAD, IRAQ

03.23.2009

Story by Sgt. Crystal Reidy 

3rd Expeditionary Sustainment Command

JOINT BASE BALAD, Iraq – Soldiers from across Iraq gathered March 18-19 to compete in the 3rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary)'s Sustainer Challenge competition, a team-based event designed to test the limits of physical endurance, combat skills and team spirit.

More than 130 participants from 21 battalions competed in seven events, including a five-mile road march in full combat gear, weapons qualification, a timed Humvee tire change, a physical fitness test and modern Army combatives tournament. The challenge was designed to promote team building and esprit de corps centered on events representing the forty warrior tasks and 11 battle drills every Soldier is expected to know.

Brig. Gen. Michael J. Lally, the 3rd ESC commanding general, said the most successful teams were those that worked together. He said the Army today - just like the U.S. Army throughout its history - has fought and won battles as teams, not as individuals.

"The team that can shoot, move, fight, maintain and win together will come out on top," Lally said to the participants at the beginning of the competition.

Each team consisted of five competitors and one coach and was required to include an officer, a female and a Soldier at least 30 years old.

Command Sgt. Maj. Willie C. Tennant, Sr., the 3rd ESC senior non-commissioned officer said every participant learned something through the training process and during the two days of competition. He said every participant came out a better Soldier than when they started.

"Every task we did the last two days had something to do with combat operations," Tennant said. "We took the foundation of what the Army has asked every Soldier to do and packaged it for this competition."

Tennant said the competition was designed to be a team concept. The goal wasn't to find the strongest or fastest team- it was to find the team that worked the best together, he said.

"It gives Soldiers an opportunity to refine Soldier skills, work with teammates and evaluate their skills as an overall Soldier," Tennant said.

Three individual awards were given to Soldiers who stood out from their peers. The Warrior Ethos Award was given to Chad Touchet, from the 330th Transportation Battalion, for best representing the spirit of teamwork throughout the competition.

The other two individual awards went to the best all-around male and female champions based on the individual points they received in the litter carry, physical fitness test and combatives.

The male award went to Spc. Shawn Jepsen from the 157th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 287th Sustainment Brigade. The female award went to Capt. Sara Zerr from the 10th Sust. Bde.

The winner of the team competition was Rockville, Md.'s 398th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 10th Sust. Bde.

Command Sgt. Maj. Ronald C. Merritt, the senior NCO for the 398th CSSB, said the unit's success was due to their commitment and diversity. He said their team consisted of military occupational specialties such as mechanic, chaplain assistant and small-arms NCO.

"Their varied backgrounds, experience and their ability to bring all that knowledge together to train and compete made each other stronger," Merritt said, a native of Chicago. "The combination of everything worked out for them during this competition."

Each participant of the winning team, including the coach, received an Army Commendation Medal, a gold medallion, a certificate of achievement and a commander's coin for excellence.

• Date Taken: 03.23.2009
• Date Posted: 03.23.2009 05:06
• Story ID: 31476
• Location: BALAD, IQ