Photo By Master Sgt. Salli Sablan | Staff Sgt. Demetrius McCowan (right) of Fresno, Calif., a sheet metal aircraft...... read more read more
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CAMP SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. – For six grueling days in September, nine soldiers competing for the title of Best Warrior navigated their way across the hills of San Luis Obispo, Calif., climbed up ropes, under barbed wire and over walls, took down enemies and racked their brains for answers, all with little time to rest. But these competitors didn’t go it alone. Behind each warrior was a dedicated sponsor ensuring all their needs were taken care of and cheering them on from the sidelines.
A sponsor is a non-commissioned officer (NCO) from the same unit as the competitor who volunteers to help prepare the warrior, as well as to walk every step of the competition with them.
“My biggest role as a sponsor,” said Staff Sgt. Dain Miskimen, a military police instructor with 1st Battalion, 223rd Regional Training Institute, “is making sure everything is run properly for [my competitor]. Making sure we have all the questions asked — how are we doing this, the proper placement, where he has to be at what time — I’m basically the manager of that. I just go through and make sure he gets where he has to be and he’s prepared.”
Miskimen’s competitor, Staff Sgt. Craig Tomlinson of Oceano, Calif., who is also an MP instructor with 1st Battalion, 223rd RTI, said Miskimen’s biggest role is to provide Tomlinson with moral support by continually encouraging him, supporting him and making sure he’s focused and on the right track mentally.
“I definitely believe Staff Sergeant Miskimen has been there,” Tomlinson said. “He’s coached me all the way through. He’s given me that extra bit of inspiration to go that extra mile when I felt that my tank of gas was empty and I was done.”
The job of the sponsor starts well before the competition. Sponsors meet regularly with their competitors in the months and weeks leading up to the competition to help them prepare for each event.
Between full-time jobs and long distances, finding time to train can be a challenge, so when late nights, weekends and phone calls don’t cut it, some of the sponsors find innovative ways to keep their competitors on track.
Sgt. 1st Class James Palleres of Clovis, Calif., the 1106th Theater Aviation Support Maintenance Group operations NCO, had his competitor, Staff Sgt. Demetrius McCowan of Fresno, come to his office and practice combatives with him while juggling conference calls at the same time.
Staff Sgt. Pablo Alvarez of Lakewood, Calif., a network operator with Signal Company, 224th Sustainment Brigade, created a CD complete with Army Warrior Tasks and study guides and told his competitor, Spc. Brian Quinonez, “This is your job from now until September 11th. This is going to be your life – to study.”
Many of the sponsors created study guides and flash cards, which they used to regularly quiz their competitors, not just ahead of time, but during the competition as well. Sponsors also tracked down units with different weapons so their competitors could get hands-on training, set up land navigation courses and went over the events again and again.
“To prepare, we have been doing walk-throughs of the events,” Miskimen said. “After a walk-through, we discuss strategies like target placement and target scenarios needed to complete the tasks put in front of us.”
While the participants competed in each event, the sponsors ran around doing everything from getting their Soldiers chow to doing their laundry and checking their equipment.
“[We give] them that clear sense of mind so they don’t have to worry about little things like, ‘When am I going to do my laundry?’ and ‘When am I going to be able to eat? Do I have everything I need?’” said Staff Sgt. Michael Moverly from Pleasant Hill, Calif., a battle NCO for Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 1st Battalion, 143 Field Artillery Regiment, 79th Infantry Brigade Combat Team. “When someone is already stressed out, studying and running a mile a minute, it can all compound into one horrible disaster. If he has something to worry about, then I haven’t done my job.”
The most important job, however, is for a sponsor to keep their competitor focused and motivated.
“If he needs anything, I just want him to know that I’m here, and just be there for him for support,” Alvarez said. “If he starts to get down, I’ll just be there for him. I’ll encourage him to do the best he can.”
| Date Taken: | 09.17.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 09.30.2011 18:36 |
| Story ID: | 77864 |
| Location: | SAN LUIS OBISPO, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 107 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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