Soldiers of 2nd Stryker Brigade enjoy a week of friendly competition

Photo By Sgt. Ian Ives | Col. David Womack, commander of 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, addresses his soldiers during the closing ceremony for the Week of the Warrior. Every year, 2 SBCT celebrates its birth year by holding a weeklong competition within the brigade.  

SCHOFIELD BARRACKS, HAWAII, UNITED STATES

08.11.2015

Story by Sgt. Ian Ives 

2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division

SCHOFIELD BARRACKS, Hawaii – Soldiers of the 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division participated in Week of the Warrior, an event that occurred Aug. 3-7 and celebrates the birth year of the brigade through a series of sporting events that tests the Soldiers of the seven battalions through friendly competition.

This year, Soldiers had a chance to compete in 11 events, including tug of war, volleyball, flag football, soccer, best drill team, cross-fit, ultimate Frisbee, softball, a six-mile group run, Army combatives, and a Diyala Dash. The Diyala Dash is a multi-event competition divided into two ruck marches, an obstacle course, a ruck raft swim and a chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosives knowledge course.

One Soldier had the chance to compete in the Diyala Dash this year after being too injured to participate in last year’s competition. Pfc. Jared Johns, a rifleman with Company B, 1st Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 25 ID, and native to Thatcher, Arizona, had his first chance to compete with other members of his unit.

“The reason I chose this event is because it is the most combat practical,” said Johns. “This is something that we can transfer to the battlefield. It actually correlates rather well. I think that all the skills that we have mastered will transfer to our combat readiness and make us more proficient soldiers.”

Being that this is not Johns' first time attending Week of the Warrior, he understands that it is more than just a little friendly competition.

“Week of the Warrior has been good,” said Johns. “It’s crazy because it’s not just your battalion going to watch your battalion. Everyone is going out to watch everything. There is a lot of unit cohesion and brigade cohesion because everyone is getting competitive. You see sergeant first classes working with privates and officers as well, all striving towards a common goal. At the end of the day, it builds unit cohesion as well as camaraderie. If we can do more of this it will definitely make us better soldiers, because it really makes you care about the guys to your left and right.”

During the closing ceremony, Col. David Womack, commander of 2 SBCT, 25 ID, had the chance to address Soldiers of the entire brigade.

“I want to thank the noncommissioned officers and officers that put this event together and ran it professionally at the lowest level, that to me, speaks volumes,” said Womack. “The competitors whether competing in the Daylia Dash or softball, brought first class competition all the way around.”

Following Womack’s speech, the overall winner of the Week of the Warrior was announced with 2nd Battalion, 11th Field Artillery emerging on top. The weeklong competition concluded with a barbecue to celebrate the hard work of all brigade Soldiers.

• Date Taken: 08.11.2015
• Date Posted: 08.12.2015 18:28
• Story ID: 172978
• Location: SCHOFIELD BARRACKS, HAWAII, US
• Hometown: THATCHER, ARIZONA, US