Photo By Patrick Buffett | The winning 244th Quartermaster Battalion team – accompanied by their platoon...... read more read more
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FORT LEE, Va. (March 1, 2018) -- Citing President Theodore Roosevelt’s famous saying, “Speak softly and carry a big stick,” Col. Greg Townsend set the stage for Saturday’s 23rd Quartermaster Brigade Soldier Stakes competition here.
“It was a statement that shaped America’s foreign policy,” the brigade commander told the assembled, all-volunteer teams during opening remarks. “It was a warning to our enemies about the might and power of the U.S. Army and our nation’s armed forces. The big stick is what you continue to represent today. Our enemies do not want to go to war against us because they fear the fierce competitiveness, pride and tenacity of the Soldier – traits you demonstrate by stepping forward and freely accepting challenges like this one.”
Following those comments was a competition in which six teams, two from each of the Dragon Brigade’s three student battalions, set out on a roughly three-mile course dotted with nine event stations presenting physically and mentally demanding tasks and often requiring teamwork and good communication skills for successful completion.
“While putting this together, we focused a lot on the basic warrior tasks and battle drills the Army says all Soldiers should know,” Townsend said while describing the course. The titles of stations exemplifying that effort included “react to indirect fire,” “perform first aid” and “transport a casualty.” Knowledge-based tasks included “identifying terrain features,” “disassemble and re-assemble an M16 rifle,” “make a SALUTE report” and “call in a 9-line medevac.”
“We raised the physical challenge up a notch by requiring each team to carry a filled water container through the course,” Townsend continued. “There were demanding push-up and low-crawl stations as well.”
Further describing the annual competition as “an opportunity for Soldiers to ramp up their game,” Townsend noted how it aligns with Army leadership efforts to build and reinforce warfighting skills and increase deploy-ability among those wearing a military uniform.
“Regardless of military occupational specialty, we have a responsibility to ensure every Soldier is experienced with tough and realistic training conditions,” the colonel said. “This competition is another opportunity to build on those basic war-fighting skills while expanding the professional Soldier mindset.
“I think another positive outcome of today,” Townsend continued, “is giving the individual competitors a few war stories they can tell their battle buddies back in the barracks. It’s an opportunity for them to show how they were the best Soldier they could possibly be today, and they were the best teammate possible. As they walk away from this, I hope they have a real sense of pride and accomplishment.”
That goal was achieved based on subsequent comments by Pfc. Juliana Pinzon-Garcia, a Romeo Company Soldier who competed on one of the 262nd QM Battalion teams. With only four months under her newly enlisted belt, she said the Soldier Stakes experience has her reconsidering the idea of doing a hitch, paying off college bills and getting out.
“Things like this appeal to my competitive nature,” the Orange County, Calif., native said while describing her reasons for volunteering to compete. “I have never been afraid to push myself to the limit, or beyond actually, because I want to understand and show my inner strengths. I’m beginning to realize how much the Army fits that characteristic, and it may be something I was meant to do for a longer term. It definitely has me thinking about it.”
Astutely keying in on the purpose of Soldier Stakes, Pinzon-Garcia said she spotted an opportunity to learn pointers from unit trainers that would “benefit anyone wanting to move up the chain (get promoted)” or setting the stage for their future life in the Army.
“Maybe it’s not something a lot of people at my level think about, but these are the types of stresses I’m sure Soldiers experience in a wartime environment,” she observed. “We have to be ready for that. Somebody right next to you could fall. A team may end up with three when it started out with 20. In those moments, you have to trust your ability to push yourself, pick up that heavy equipment and keep moving forward. That’s what I think events like this prepare us for, and that makes them so important.”
Pvt. Rafael Morales, a Papa Company Soldier representing the 244th QM Bn., said he also recognizes his responsibility to become a valuable asset to the future Army.
“I kept thinking throughout this challenge about what I would experience if I was deployed, and that helped me focus on what I needed to learn and do in order to be an asset to my team,” noted the native of Puerto Rico who joined the Army in September 2017. “Without a doubt, I’m glad I volunteered for this. It makes me feel like part of an organization that can accomplish anything if everyone is doing their best.”
One of the 244th QM Bn., teams ultimately won the competition, and its six members were each presented with an Army Achievement Medal. All other participants received a Certificate of Achievement, signed by Townsend.
Crediting the victory to her “hard-working NCOs and dedicated student-Soldiers,” Sgt. Maj. JennyAnne Bright, 244th QM Bn., SGM, said she couldn’t be happier with the outcome of the Soldier Stakes meet.
“It’s not just winning that gives me an awesome feeling about today,” she said. “It’s the idea of showing teamwork and enjoying what we do as Soldiers. Seeing the spirit of these brand new Soldiers, many of whom haven’t even started their AIT classes, is uplifting as well. It’s one more thing that inspires me to be an even better leader and do this job of shaping Soldiers every day.”
| Date Taken: | 03.01.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 03.01.2018 10:25 |
| Story ID: | 267719 |
| Location: | VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 63 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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