Photo By Sgt. Adrienne Burns | U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Clifford Price, the plans noncommissioned officer for the...... read more read more
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MANNHEIM, German – Military police are known as the Army’s “triple strand of strength.” They are a force to be reckoned with concerning matters in law enforcement, corrections and criminal investigations. A select group of soldiers from the 18th Military Police Brigade looked to prove themselves by completing a different trifecta, April 15-17, here in Mannheim.
Through coordination with the American Forces Network headquarters, soldiers from around Germany had the opportunity to earn three coveted awards in three days: the German Armed Forces Efficiency Badge, the German Sports Badge and the Austrian Sports Badge.
The event would consist of three grueling days of hard work that would test each competitor both physically and mentally. Under the watchful eye of German Master Sgt. Alex Ketterl, the instructor certified to award the badges, every soldier would find themselves pushed to the limit.
Marksmanship was the first event, and qualifying on an M9 pistol gave many of the MPs a boost of confidence at the beginning of the competition. MPs regularly qualify on the M9 pistol since historically it is their assigned weapon.
But, what followed the marksmanship event was a wake-up call for almost everyone.
When soldiers showed up at the local swimming pool for their second event, they were still riding that wave of confidence from the range, but the first 50 meters of the swimming competition changed that.
Soldiers needed to complete a 200-meter timed swim for the German Sports Badge and a 300-meter timed swim for the Austrian Sports Badge. They also had the option to complete a 1000-meter timed swim as an alternate event for the upcoming long-distance run.
For some soldiers, just completing the 200-meter swim was all they could muster. Others stuck it out for the 300-meter race, and only a few dared to make the 1000-meter journey.
“The swim was definitely the hardest because we don’t train for it,” explained Spc. Ryan Bowden, an MP with the 529th Military Police Company.
The swimming event was where many soldiers realized that simply being in shape might not be enough to get through the competition. It was also going to take a lot of heart.
“My leadership picked me and I was really motivated to do this,” said Spc. Sienna Madurski, an MP with 615th MP Company, “I really wanted to be here.”
Madurski’s statement was one that was repeated time and time again by other competitors as well. The desire to see the event through to the end and take advantage of a unique opportunity was a personal motivator for the majority.
A full day on the track on Sullivan Barracks for the second day of events had soldiers competing in four areas: high jump, shot put, the 100-meter dash and a long-distance run.
For those unaccustomed to competing in field events, the high jump and shot put proved the most challenging to master. But, soldiers were given the opportunity to continue trying, and those with heart persevered.
The last day of the competition consisted of a 12-kilometer timed ruck march around Coleman Barracks with a 36-pound rucksack.
Despite the physical difficulty of completing seven events in three days and the mental challenge of mastering new sports events, there was no shortage of laughter and smiles during the three-day event.
“It’s a relaxed environment; everybody’s having a good time. You get to go out there, have some fun and get some PT in while you’re at it,” observed Cpl. Casey Butcher, a team leader with the 529th MP Company.
Soldiers were not the only ones enjoying themselves. When asked what continues to motivate him to come out during his free time to oversee these events, Ketterl said, simply, “I love to work with these people, our allies, and that’s really the reason. It’s fun.”
Whether soldiers had earned gold, silver or bronze badges, or needed to come back in the fall to try again, everyone expressed gratefulness for the opportunity.
For those selected to compete in the future, Madurski said, “Look up the events and just start training. Start training for the events. Some of the events are pretty hard if you don’t know what you’re doing.”
Madurski added, “There’s no way to fail unless you give up on yourself. They only allow you to succeed.”
| Date Taken: | 04.28.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 05.10.2011 04:25 |
| Story ID: | 70160 |
| Location: | MANNHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, DE |
| Web Views: | 812 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Three badges in three days: 18th MPs test their limits, by SGT Adrienne Burns, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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