Photo By Spc. Andrew Slovensky | Pfc. Nathaniel Hopkins, network administrator with the 50th Signal Battalion, flips a...... read more read more
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CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE ADDER, Iraq – Soldiers competing in a strongman competition on Contingency Operating Base Adder, Sept. 12, tested their will and endurance against heavy machinery and each other.
The competition featured soldiers taking turns pulling a Humvee weighing more than three-tons before sprinting with a 40-pound punching-bag, flipping a large tire, and taking turns in the iconic test of strength: the tug-of-war.
This event was the most recent of more than 40 strength competitions held on COB Adder since October 2010, where soldiers’ speed and endurance were tested against gravity and each other. For these soldiers, the competitions are a mind-over-matter way to challenge themselves and their muscles.
“It pushes you to test yourself because the odds are against you,” said Spc. Samanthy Phillips, signal support specialist with the 77th Theater Aviation Brigade.
During the events, soldiers demonstrate their strength and resolve while being cheered on by fellow competitors.
Even though they may have wanted to quit, service members kept pushing themselves, said Staff Sgt. Abiasaph Maldonado Jr., 224th Aviation Battalion.
“Seeing someone stronger than me motivates me,” said Staff Sgt. Howard Acoff, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division. “It makes me push myself harder.”
Bench-pressing, squats and deadlifts are just a few of the separate competitions service members have participated in the past year, said Jimmy Mohan, supervisor for the House of Pain gym on COB Adder. The most important consideration was the safety of the competitors he added.
Victory is not the only reward in the competitions; the workouts help keep soldiers fit and improve their confidence said Mohan, who coordinated the challenges of strength over the past year.
Regardless of reason, soldiers showed up to compete and tested themselves in feats of strength and walked away after giving their all.
“Some did a lot, others did a little, but they never stopped trying,” said Maldonado. “By them achieving what they did, I believe that’s their reward.”
| Date Taken: | 09.12.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 09.22.2011 08:08 |
| Story ID: | 77427 |
| Location: | TALLIL, IQ |
| Web Views: | 81 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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