Courtesy Photo | 181117-N-XX082-0026 SELMA, Texas (Nov. 17, 2018) Cryptologic Technician (Technical)...... read more read more
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By Information Systems Technician 1st Class Benjamin Wooldridge
PENSACOLA, Fla. – When it comes to fitness competitions between the branches of service, the Navy always aims to win. In one such event named the Alpha Warrior Final Battle, Cryptologic Technician (Technical) 1st Class Mikala Hawkins showed the other branches what competition and determination really are at Retama Park in Selma, Texas, Nov. 17.
Hawkins, a native of Saint Louis, Missouri, and an instructor for Cryptologic Technician (Technical) “C” school at Information Warfare Training Command (IWTC) Corry Station, was asked to compete in the first ever inter-service competition with airmen, soldiers and Sailors just one week before it began.
“I was just at the gym for my normal workout and one of the staff members approached me and said that I would be a great fit for this and asked if they could sign me up,” shared Hawkins. “I gave them my information and one week later I was on my way.”
She arrived in Texas to meet the rest of her 6-person team and to get a preliminary look at the course, Nov. 16.
The inter-service battle combined 15 obstacles and fitness machines to challenge the teams in various ways. These obstacles tested their abilities in areas such as climbing, gymnastic rings, weightlifting, running, jumping and pull-ups. Each service member ran the course individually with the winning service determined by the total team time.
“The course was just crazy,” said Hawkins. “You do the obstacles individually and that’s easy and then you put it all together and you’re running it, your heart is racing and you got adrenaline going it’s just like everything is super invigorating. It really tests not only your physical ability but your mental ability– like how strong you are mentally as well. I think that was the most exciting part.”
As fun and exciting of a picture Hawkins painted for us, there was a complication during the timed events. Towards the middle of the course, she injured her ankle on one of the obstacles, but with the help of another service member, she persevered and completed the rest of the trials.
“I think the camaraderie was pretty awesome between the Navy and Army,” added Hawkins. “When I got injured, there was this Army woman behind me and she saw that I was panicking and about to give up because the pain was so bad. However, she wouldn’t leave me behind, and she literally pushed me to finish the course and she finished with me. It was just amazing.”
IWTC Corry Station, as part of the Center for Information Warfare Training, provides a continuum of training to Navy and joint service personnel that prepares them to conduct information warfare (IW) across the full spectrum of military operations.
With four schoolhouse commands, two detachments, and training sites throughout the United States and Japan, CIWT is recognized as Naval Education and Training Command’s top learning for the past two years. Training over 21,000 students every year, CIWT delivers trained information warfare professionals to the Navy and joint services. CIWT also offers more than 200 courses for cryptologic technicians, intelligence specialists, information systems technicians, electronics technicians, and officers in the information warfare community.
For more news from Center for Information Warfare Training enterprise, visit http://www.navy.mil/local/cid/, http://www.netc.navy.mil/centers/ciwt/, http://www.facebook.com/NavyCIWT, or http://www.twitter.com/NavyCIWT.
| Date Taken: | 11.17.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 11.19.2018 14:18 |
| Story ID: | 300529 |
| Location: | PENSACOLA, FLORIDA, US |
| Web Views: | 140 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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