Photo By Sgt. Alexander Chatoff | Spc. Gage Benefiel (blue belt) from the 720th Military Police Brigade, 89th Military...... read more read more
Four squads of Soldiers withstood windy and frigid conditions while experiencing diverse and demanding events from the 89th Military Police Brigade Best Squad three-day competition. Many of the nights involved little sleep, with days that demanded physical and mental excellence. These Soldiers represented their battalions in the 89th Military Police Brigade Best Squad Competition at Fort Carson, Colorado, April 2 – 4, 2024.
The 89th Military Police Brigade Best Squad Competition is meant to see which squad is the most qualified squad and technically and tactically proficient. The Soldiers experienced grueling physical events such as combatives and a 12-mile ruck while also testing their mental sharpness in performing tasks including military academic essays and formal military board. The squad that proves to be the most qualified in all events will move on to the III Armored Corps Best Squad Competition.
The four squads of Soldiers competing in the competition included five representatives from all four battalions: the 93rd Military Police Battalion, the 97th Military Police Battalion, the 720th Military Police Battalion, and the 759th Military Police Battalion.
The competition began early on a Tuesday morning, where the Soldiers from the competition started with a physical assessment, including hand-release pushups, a three-minute plank, a five-mile run, and pull-ups. After the completion of the physical assessment, the Soldiers were transported to an obstacle course that is over a mile long and goes up and down steep hills that had to be climbed. The competition then had the Soldiers qualify with an M4 carbine and an M17 pistol. The day concluded with day land navigation with a rucksack and weapons and night land navigation with little to no light available.
“The obstacle course was very difficult for our team,” Spc. Gage Benefiel, a competitor from the 410th Military Police Company, 720th Military Police Battalion, said. “Once we got past the obstacle course, land navigation was our team’s next big challenge. We walked over ten kilometers with a ruck, a modular scaleable vest (MSV) with plates, and our weapons.”
The Soldiers of the 89th MP Bde. started the next day bright and early with a 12-mile ruck that immediately went into a Preventative Maintenance Checks and Services (PMCS) test where the team had to identify discrepancies with four Army vehicles under 30 minutes. A formal essay was also given to the Soldiers about a random Army-related topic. The tired and sore Soldiers finished their day with a combatives tournament.
The final day of the competition was a formal board. Members of the board included the battalion command sergeant majors of each battalion present, as well as the 89th Military Police Brigade command sergeant major, Command Sgt. Maj. John Caprio.
Sgt. Maj. Christopher McDougall, the 759th Military Police Battalion operations sergeant major, spoke on the importance of competition between Soldiers.
“The training, studying, and preparation preceding the competition not only improve Soldiers but also inspire those around them to strive for excellence,” McDougall said. “I think any type of competition that you can get Soldiers to participate in with the intent of making them better and promoting esprit de corps fosters an environment that makes everyone involved better.”
The Soldiers representing their battalions must maintain themselves physically and mentally to get through the challenging tasks that were performed.
“We are engaged in rigorous testing of the whole Soldier concept as part of this best squad competition,” said McDougall. “It’s imperative to recognize that each event holds equal significance, emphasizing the necessity for teams to be thoroughly equipped both physically and mentally to achieve success.”
The best squad competition is also a way to instill the warrior tasks that Soldiers must keep up-to-date and always maintain.
“These competitions bring Soldiers back to the warrior tasks and battle drills within skill level one,” said 1st Sgt. Timothy Passe, the 127th Military Police Company first sergeant. “The competition will also test Non-Commissioned officers' troop-leading abilities and how well they can accomplish tasks in stressful environments."
With the 89th Military Police Brigade best squad competition comes comradery as well. Representatives from each battalion came together to compete against one another.
"With this competition, you are assembling top-tier competitors from each battalion all over the country,” Passe said. “It fosters a healthy spirit of competition, especially since Soldiers don’t frequently interact with peers from different battalions because these Soldiers are normally geographically separated.”
When the dust had settled, the winner of the best squad competition was the 97th Military Police Battalion. Every point counted in the competition as second place was the squad representing the 759th Military Police Battalion, which only lost by a quarter of a point.
The 97th Military Police Battalion will move on to the III Armored Corps Best Squad Competition at Fort Riley, Kansas, June 2024.
“When we put on something like the best squad competition, you expect excellence,” Col. Jeremy Kerfoot, the 89th Military Police Brigade commander, said. “Excellence is exactly what we saw here. These competitors never quit and put their full heart and effort into this competition as individuals and as a team. I am extremely proud of each competitor for their hard work and dedication to the brigade."
| Date Taken: | 04.10.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 04.16.2024 15:45 |
| Story ID: | 468355 |
| Location: | FORT CARSON, COLORADO, US |
| Web Views: | 192 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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