The 483rd TTB conducts Best Warrior Competition at Mare Island

Photo By Capt. Fernando Ochoa | Soldiers from the 483rd Terminal Transportation Battalion traveled to Mare Island, Vallejo, Calif., to participate in a Best Warrior Competition November 16-21, 2020. These Soldiers were assessed on their Tactical Casualty Care skills. The Best Warrior Competition is an annual competition overseen by the Department of the Army as a means of identifying and recognizing Soldiers in active, special operations, National Guard and Reserve components of the United States Army.  

VALLEJO, CA, UNITED STATES

11.16.2020

Story by Capt. Fernando Ochoa 

311th Expeditionary Sustainment Command   

VALLEJO, Calif. – Led by 1st Sgt. Christopher Lehman, 483rd Terminal Transportation Battalion first sergeant, Soldiers from the 483rd TTB traveled to Mare Island to participate in a Best Warrior Competition on November 16-21, 2020.

The Best Warrior Competition is an annual competition overseen by the Department of the Army as a means of identifying and recognizing Soldiers in active, special operations, National Guard and Reserve components of the United States Army.

The contest was originally to be held at Fort Hunter Liggett, but because of the COVID crisis, the types of events had to be curtained, but the participates who competed were still enthusiastic and gave all of their efforts, making the competition a success. Soldiers from the 238th Transportation Company, Dublin, Calif., and the 711th Transportation Company, Concord, Calif., also participated.

“This BWC is a testament to the dedication and resilience of 483rd TTB Soldiers. It was important to have Soldiers compete and showcase the months of training and hard work they put into this competition,” said Lehman. “The events we chose provided OPFOR support as well as the training aids needed to make the event successful. The intent was to provide a realistic scenario that reinforced that there are real world consequences if training is not perfected.”

Sgt. 1st Class Reco Hargrove, the Best Warrior Competition NCOIC, helped organize and execute this important exercise. Because of the limitations of the Mare Island facility, the following tasks were preformed: the APFT, ACFT, weapons training with the M9, M16, and M249, which included the assembling and disassembling of the weapon systems, a Tactical Casualty Care inspection, the 12 mile-ruck march, an ASU inspection, a Mystery Event, and a Board interview.

“This competition identifies Soldiers that embrace challenges and want to be pushed to their maximum abilities, working well under stressful situations. It also makes the bond between Soldiers much tighter than ever,” said Hargrove. “The best part of this competition is seeing the Soldiers during the 24 hour operations. The strong set aside their time to assist the Soldiers that began to break down from exhaustion. To me those Soldiers that do that see the big picture of what it is to be a Best Warrior, becoming the next leaders.”

The decision was made to send three Soldiers to the next level of competition, including Spc. Rudy Hernandez, 238th Inland Cargo Transportation Company, Spc. Shuti Wang, 711th Transportation Company, and Sgt. Michelle Padilla, 483rd Terminal Transportation Battalion. The next level of competition will be at the 311th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary), and it will be held at Fort Hunter Liggett in March of 2021.

• Date Taken: 11.16.2020
• Date Posted: 12.20.2020 12:42
• Story ID: 385422
• Location: VALLEJO, CA, US