Photo By Master Sgt. Brandon Bednarek | Pfc. Wesley Adams, Spc. Michael Adams, Spc. Grant Vonmoss, and Sgt. 1st Class Marc...... read more read more
FORT BENNING, Ga. - After four days of intense physical and technical competition, the armor tank crew from C Company, 1st Battalion, 77th Armor Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, completed their participation in the Army’s inaugural Sullivan Cup precision gunnery last week at Fort Benning, Ga.
Sponsored by Raytheon, Colt, and Lockheed Martin, the Sullivan Cup tested crews on their core competency knowledge throughout 11 events, which were comprised into three categories: maintenance, virtual simulations, and live-fire gunnery.
In competition against 14 teams from across the Army, Sgt. 1st Class Marc Westenbarger, Spc. Michael Adams, Spc. Grant Vonmoss, and Pfc. Wesley Foster, used the opportunity to showcase their capabilities and proficiency.
“Just the fact that we were in the competition is an honor,” said Adams, the crew’s gunner and a Joshua Tree, Calif., native. “It’s amazing just to be here at the first inaugural competition of its kind.”
Adverse weather conditions and vehicle complications played a pivotal role as the ‘Steel Tiger’ crew strived to remain mentally focused on their performances during events.
“There are so many things that can go wrong in any one of these events,” said Westenbarger, tank commander. “We went through four tanks, at no fault of our own. We did the best we could with the equipment and resources we had.”
When the smoke cleared and the final gunnery evaluations concluded, overall scores for the competition were revealed. And though the crew did not receive the first-place title, they distinguished themselves as the 11th-best tank crew in the U.S. Army.
“For most of the competition, everyone was neck and neck in the standings,” said Westenbarger. “Scores were separated by at most 30 points at any one time.”
“We didn’t have to be the best at everything, we just had to be consistent,” he continued.
“It was definitely a good effort,” said Foster, the crew’s driver and a Woodstock, Va., native. “We had things go wrong that cost us a few places from where we probably should have placed. Overall, I think we did really well.”
“Everyone wants to win; I wanted to win,” said Westenbarger, “but I’m not going to let it get to me. We came out here, had fun, and we got to shoot some tanks.”
“Maybe they [crew] don’t realize it right now, but the gravity of where they are at will sink in a little bit later,” he continued. “We were here representing the best tank crews in the Army.”
They team may not have brought home the Sullivan Cup trophy, but they certainly did not return to Fort Bliss empty handed. The personal experiences gained from the opportunity will undoubtedly resonate throughout their future careers as tankers.
“I learned so much from [Sgt. 1st Class Westenbarger] and overall about the tank by being here,” said Foster. “It was just a really good experience, that’s what I’m taking away from this.”
Even after years of tank experience, Westenbarger admitted that he too learned something about the crew and himself by participating in the event.
“With my crew, I give them pretty specific tasks to do,” he said. “I learned here, especially on the dismounted live-fire exercise, that I needed to give them more freedom to maneuver on their own and trust them a little more than I did.”
As his final encounter as a tank commander, Westenbarger said the Sullivan Cup opportunity was a positive way to end his journey and represents one of his top accolades as a tanker.
“It was just great to be here, I had fun,” he said. “This competition encompasses more than just gunnery. It includes basic core competencies for armor crewman, and I have a lot of that to offer to future soldiers that I may have.”
| Date Taken: | 05.11.2012 |
| Date Posted: | 05.16.2012 17:38 |
| Story ID: | 88526 |
| Location: | FORT BENNING, GEORGIA, US |
| Web Views: | 379 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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