Photo By Staff Sgt. Francis Horton | Sgt. Dorothy Walker, 4th Brigade, 1st Armored Division, checks for shock and treats...... read more read more
CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE ADDER, Iraq — Soldiers on Contingency Operating Base Adder competed for the title of Soldier of the Quarter and Non-commissioned Officer of the Quarter, Dec. 27-29, 2009, in contests testing physical and mental capabilities to their limits.
"It's fast paced and very busy," said Sgt. David Hall, 1st Battalion, 377th Field Artillery Regiment, 17th Fires Brigade. In the time leading up to the competition, he and the other Soldiers toughened themselves physically and mentally.
Spc. Jeffery T. Chase of the 17th Fires Brigade won Soldier of the Quarter and Hall was name Non-commissioned Officer of the Quarter.
The competition included a physical fitness test, consisting of the two-mile run, pushups and sit-ups, a two-mile road march, a land navigation course, a review board and weapons qualification.
"We picked the skills Soldiers are most likely to use," said Sgt. 1st class Felicia Hamilton, 121st Brigade Support Battalion, a Denton, Texas, native.
The land navigation course was a desert field, and large Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles were used as points. Using a compasses and protractors, the Soldiers had to find the right points in order. If they were wrong, they had to go back to their last correct point and start over.
At various points during the course, Soldiers had to complete tasks ranging from first aid and reacting to indirect fire, to the loading and unloading of the M2 .50-caliber machine gun.
Many of the events were created specifically to frustrate and disorient the soldiers.
"We want to see who can withstand the pressure," Hamilton said.
In preparation, the soldiers practiced the various military skills and worked to put their bodies in top physical condition.
"We want to come up with ways to keep our Soldiers trained and focused," said Command Sgt. Maj. Phillip Pandy, 4th Brigade, 1st Armored Division.
| Date Taken: | 12.29.2009 |
| Date Posted: | 01.11.2010 01:15 |
| Story ID: | 43640 |
| Location: | TALLIL, IQ |
| Web Views: | 291 |
| Downloads: | 275 |
This work, Soldiers Compete for Soldierly honors, by SSG Francis Horton, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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