FORT LEE, Va. (July 14, 2016) -- Weapons qualification, land navigation, first aid, physical training and radio communication are just a few subjects in which Sgt. Elias Fregoso has recently immersed himself in preparation for the Training and Doctrine Command level of the Army Best Warrior Competition.
The 23-year-old’s hunger to learn is pushing him to absorb every detail of every task associated with soldiering in the field, but on the other hand, when it comes down to the actual competition, know-how is just part of what it takes to win it, he said
“It’s more of a mental game,” said the 508th Transportation Company, 266th Quartermaster Battalion, Soldier.
Best Warrior is a Soldier skills event that tests competitors in a number of events deemed necessary for success in field operations. Fregoso, who won the CASCOM version of the competition earlier this year, will compete against other Soldiers in August for the right to represent TRADOC in the Army BWC scheduled for October at Fort A.P. Hill.
“The mental game,” as Fregoso refers to it, is an important component for success in the competition at any level. First of all, the exact events are not disclosed prior to the start, and most competitors have no knowledge of who they will be competing against, much less the caliber of competition. Uncertainty is an overriding theme and having the right perspective is important.
“You have to be open-minded and expect the unexpected,” said Fregoso, a motor transport operator. “The competition will be tough because they wouldn’t have made it this far (without being equally motivated). That means you have to push yourself that much more so you can put up a good fight.”
Fighting to perform at the top of one’s game is critical, said Fregoso. During the Department of the Army Best Warrior events that took place here in the past, the winners were oftentimes those who avoided getting caught up into competing against other contestants and not becoming unnerved by episodes of disappointment. Fregoso seems to have thought out both issues.
“The winner will be the one who gives 100 percent in each and every event,” said the Los Angeles native, “who doesn’t let a setback from one event carry over to the next and let that be the reason they can’t perform at their maximum capacity.”
To help him perform at the highest level, Fregoso said he is embedded in a training program featuring plenty of physical fitness outside of unit requirements.
“We do PT (with the unit), but outside of that, I go to the gym for an hour – doing typical pushups, sit-ups and weights to condition my mind and body,” he said. “Your body reaches a certain limit and will give out. I’m pushing my body to go beyond that so when the competition comes, I’ll be physically and mentally there.”
With a myriad of field tasks subject to testing, Fregoso said he attends all company training events, gets plenty of guidance and advice from his chain of command, and works daily during idle periods to further sharpen skills. He used weapons training as an example of his approach.
“It is something I need to work on, so I’ll go in and disassemble them (weapons) and do it repetitively to where it’s more muscle memory. I don’t have to think about it; I just do it,” he said.
That kind of commitment gets raves from superiors such as Staff Sgt. Travis Charchere, who said Fregoso has a Soldier’s mindset.
“This guy has a lot of potential,” he said. “He’s a go-getter who is willing to learn, eager to train and will go beyond the bar to help someone else. He has a great future in the military.”
In his quest to become the TRADOC Best Warrior, Fregoso said he fully comprehends what is at stake – his reputation as a Soldier and the fact he is representing his family and a unit that has placed much faith in him.
“It’s a big weight on my shoulders,” said Fregoso, who was recently promoted, “but I feel like I have the proficient training and leadership to take it. And I think I can take it ... take it to the Department of the Army.”
The TRADOC competition is set to begin Aug. 17 at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo.