Photo By Staff Sgt. Gary Hawkins | Spc. Ivan Pimentel, Headquarters and Headquarters Company Pacific Division, 75th...... read more read more
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FORT MCCOY, Wis. - It’s not often that soldiers, who will spend almost one year training for a Best Warrior Competition, return the following year for another crack at being number one. But the 2012 Army Reserve Best Warrior runner-up was not satisfied with that finish and has been determined to make a return in the 2013 competition at Fort McCoy, Wis. - to win.
“For me it’s a great honor to compete at this level again and of course, it’s nerve racking for sure. But I know some of the areas where I needed improving, and I think I am better prepared for this competition,” said Spc. Ivan Pimentel, member of the Headquarters and Headquarters Command, Pacific Division, 75th Training Command at Camp Parks, Calif. “It’s one way that I measure myself up against the best of the best in the Army Reserve and how I get better experiences and training opportunities.”
However, Pimentel does admit that during competitions he gets nervous to the point of being pretty high strung, but does his best not to show it.
The feeling of a strong family support nucleus is almost completely necessary while being away from home for most Army Reserve soldiers. Being twice the citizen and being self-motivated while setting an example for other family members can also help form a strong work ethic.
“I’m the first person in my family to be in the military and I feel like I have a bar to set for myself,” said Pimentel. “A family member that may join after me are looking to my service as the example so I have to be a great soldier and represent my family the best I can.”
Pimentel’s family moved to Modesto, Calif., from Los Angeles when he was a child. Modesto, as well as many other towns, can have its own unique characteristics such as famous people or areas in the community that could use some improvements.
“I like Modesto, Calif., because George Lucus, the director of the Star Wars movie series, was born there and that makes me a fan of his movies, which are good anyway,” said Pimentel. “ I would also like to see the teenagers and college-age students in the community to have more opportunities and programs available that can help them make something better out of themselves.”
A lot of Army Reserve soldiers have a civilian occupation and some are considered dangerous such as police and firemen. However, not many warrior citizens put wild-land firefighter on their resume. The fires in the hills and mountains of California are known as some of the worst in the country each year and blaze along at a very quick pace, destroying everything in its path.
“It is definitely hot, hard and dangerous work and just like the military, there are different professions in the wild-land firefighting arena you can apply for,” said Pimentel. “Someday I would like to be a smoke jumper, which is the elite side of wild-land firefighting that parachute into the fire area to protect homes and even towns that are in danger of burning.”
Along with dangerous jobs, Pimentel has a big vision and set lofty goals for himself. They are not to seek fame and fortune, but to pursue an adventure in some very high places.
“I would like to climb Mount Everest someday,” said Pimentel. “If money were no issue and I were in perfect shape, which is what it would take, that is where I would like to go. See the world from the highest point and have what I consider the ultimate journey.”
Returning for another competition may not be what most BWC competitors would do, but he has set his goals and started the actions that can help him achieve them. He didn’t plan on being the runner-up at last year’s competition, but feels with the support of his family throughout his life he is better prepared for this competition and any others that are ahead.
| Date Taken: | 06.24.2013 |
| Date Posted: | 06.25.2013 01:30 |
| Story ID: | 109204 |
| Location: | FORT MCCOY, WISCONSIN, US |
| Hometown: | CAMP PARKS, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 117 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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