Photo By Staff Sgt. John Couffer | Long Island, New York native Pfc. Lenny Costa (right), a cavalry scout assigned to the...... read more read more
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CAMP BUEHRING, Kuwait – After several weeks of formal training and outdoor instruction, soldiers stand ready. Donning their helmets and body armor with weapons in hand, they mentally prepare for the next 18 to 24 hours of competition.
Soldiers assigned to the 1st Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, take part in a squadron competition training event called Scout Stakes, Jan. 28.
Scout Stakes is a team-based event and determines which cavalry scout team can best employ their training in realistic settings to come out on top.
“Scout Stakes is a section-level mission that is evaluated and scored in order to determine the best scout section in this squadron, so really it is a competition,” said Richmond, Va., native, Capt. Alexander Gray, an armor officer assigned to the operations shop of GarryOwen and who helped organize the competition.
Gray explained that the competition’s events were chosen from doctrinal training manuals.
“We derived most of this from Warrior Skill Level 1 tasks, and the scout commander competency tests associated with the Excellence in Armor,” Gray said.
Gray said that he and his fellow planners selected specific tasks from doctrine to craft the culminating mission that was given to the scout sections to execute. This mission was conducted at night and against opposition forces to simulate what scouts will be facing in a combat zone, Gray said.
Gray attested to the performance of the scout sections during the competition.
He said that the teams worked well together and carried out their tasks. Gray said the scouts used the terrain to their advantage and used good maneuver techniques.
During the competition, each member of the scout section receives an individual score. The scores of all the members in the section are then summed up for a collective team score.
“We have eight stations. When you start off, you have 800 points. All the points that you lose are yours to lose for certain tasks or subtasks you did not do,” said Sgt. 1st. Class Todd Hines, a cavalry scout serving as the master gunner and assigned to GarryOwen.
Hines explained that Scout Stakes is not only a competition to determine the best section, but it is also for training on core competencies and building leadership skills.
The purpose of Scout Stakes is also to strengthen confidence in the leadership of the section as a whole. From the lowest ranking scout to the highest, the event helps to bolster his confidence in his abilities and the confidence he has in his team members to accomplish the mission, Gray said.
Hines said that this is good opportunity to evaluate whether or not the team’s current standard operating procedures are working based on the results of overall team performance.
Scout Stakes provides cavalry scouts an arena in which to strengthen skills crucial to their function, but were not routinely utilized in Iraq during the Ironhorse Brigade’s first half of its deployment.
“I’m excited to be here,” said Easton Pa. native Pfc. Dakota Steiger, a cavalry scout assigned to B Company of GarryOwen.
Steiger explained that he is glad that he has an opportunity to apply the skills he has learned over the last few weeks. He said he believes his team’s strongest event will be setting up an observation point and that he looks forward to doing Scout Stakes again.
A fellow cavalry scout feels the same way.
“[The competition] means a lot. Finally, I’m going to do what I’m trained for. I’m real anxious to get on with this and show what my skills really are,” said Long Island, N.Y., native Pfc. Lenny Costa a cavalry scout also assigned to B Company.
Costa, who serves the role of rifleman in his section, says that he believes his team was successful and among the best.
Costa said he also used this competition to find his strengths and weaknesses.
“I want to learn from my mistakes and work them, so I know if we ever go to war, at least I know I’m top notch and ready to go,” Costa said.
For a competition like this, Costa said that soldiers need to know their job and put their heart into it in order to gain the intended knowledge and experience.
Costa said he would, without a doubt, compete in Scout Stakes again.
| Date Taken: | 01.28.2012 |
| Date Posted: | 01.30.2012 03:03 |
| Story ID: | 82996 |
| Location: | CAMP BUEHRING, KW |
| Web Views: | 433 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, GarryOwen soldiers compete in Scout Stakes, by SSG John Couffer, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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