Courtesy Photo | Maj. Gen. Vincent Brooks, commanding general, United States Division-South; Staff Sgt....... read more read more
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CAMP ADDER, Iraq – Eight soldiers from United States Division – South competed in the Iron Victory Stakes Competition at Camp Adder for the USD-South Noncommissioned Officer and Soldier of the Quarter, Dec. 15.
In the end two soldiers from 3rd Advise and Assist Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, won the competition: Staff Sgt. Charles Smith, an infantryman from 1st Battalion, 68th Armor Regiment, and native of San Antonio, Texas; and Spc. Cesar Patterson, a canon crew member from Battery B, 3rd Battalion, 29th Field Artillery Regiment, from Fort Myers, Fla.
Hosted by the 3rd AAB, the competition challenged competitors from across USD-S, including 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, physically and mentally with events, ranging from combatives, a physical fitness test, soldier tasks, and a military board, where each soldier had to answer a series of questions posed by senior NCOs.
The competition, which is held every three months within USD-S, gives high-speed soldiers and NCOs the opportunity to compete at a division level and demonstrate their overall training, skills and knowledge.
Prior to the event, Soldiers deliberately uninformed of the specific events. They only knew that they would face a marksmanship range, a military board and some form of physical fitness challenge, said 1st Sgt. Shawn Carnes, noncommissioned officer in charge of the competition. The participants could do very little to prepare other than being well-rounded soldier.
“I prepared by going to the gym twice a day and had a lot of support from my platoon,” said Patterson.
Since the participants never had the event itinerary, so every new event was a surprise, adding to the mental aspect of the competition.
“Not knowing what the events are has definitely kept me guessing on what’s next, what the standards are, and what the events are, it is mentally challenging and mentally draining,” said Smith.
Starting the day off at 4:30 a.m., soldiers began with combatives, continuing with a game of “Are you smarter than a Joe?” Each competitor was represented by their first-line supervisor, who answered one question based on five categories. Each correct answer gained points for their soldier.
“We switched it up a bit from previous competitions to make it a little more difficult and more challenging,” said Carnes referring to having the sponsors actually compete in one of the tasks. “It’s something different from the rest of the competitions.”
After testing their accuracy on the weapons range and sweating through a 10 kilometer road march, soldiers faced an alternative physical fitness test, maneuvering through the “Iron Death Star” maze, designed after the brigade crest. Soldiers and NCOs tested their strength and stamina with a different physical challenge in each point of the star.
“It’s been rough, and my competitors have been pretty good athletes,” said Smith. “I am proud to bring this back to my platoon, to the brigade.”
Maj. Gen. Vincent Brooks, commanding general, and Command Sgt. Maj. Jim Champagne, senior noncommissioned officer, 1st Inf. Div., United States Division-South presented Smith and Patterson with the Army Commendation Medal at a ceremony after the competition.
All eight soldiers were given a four-day pass to Qatar for their effort in making it to the division level competition.
| Date Taken: | 12.19.2010 |
| Date Posted: | 12.25.2010 11:48 |
| Story ID: | 62595 |
| Location: | CAMP ADDER, IQ |
| Web Views: | 109 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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