SCHOFIELD BARRACKS, Hawaii - Troops from the 45th Special Troops Battalion, 8th Military Police Brigade, dedicated hours and hours to extra training and team-building activities during the months before the unit's intense Warrior Week competition.
The four-day competition, held here earlier this month, was designed to make the over 60 troops of young officers and Soldiers work cohesively in small teams, relying on each other's skills and knowledge to work through the competitive events.
Despite its title, "It's not about winning," said 1st Sgt. Jason Gouty, the 18th Transportation Detachment's first sergeant. "If you came out here to win, you've already lost."
Gouty emphasized that it was all about leadership and teamwork.
"These young officers and NCOs need to know how to motivate their Soldiers and this competition helps them do that," said Gouty.
The week kicked off with a timed Iron Man Event, in which the teams had to run four miles with their weapons while carrying a litter and five full 5 gallon water jugs. At the end of the four miles, team members competed in stress-shoot style M16 range.
To introduce the young troops to a different aspect of moving to a battlefield, the teams flew in UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters from Wheeler Army Airfield to East Range here where they rucked the rocky and muddy terrain, with all their gear, to base camp.
Unlike the battalion's previous Warrior Week competition, where Soldiers returned home at the end of the day to their nice warm and comfy beds, teams stayed in the field for the duration of this year's event.
"We wanted to add stressors to the competition," said Lt. Col. Donald Fagnan, the battalion's commander. "This forces them to think things through when under stressful conditions."
After a few hours of sleep, Soldiers started day two ahead of the sun. Each team dug fighting positions that were graded, and then the troops immediately took on the obstacle course together.
"Some of these obstacles will test you," said Command Sgt. Major Mark Morgan, the battalion's senior enlisted adviser. "This is about facing your fears and finishing as a team."
Day two ended with a foot march back to base camp, and, day three, Soldiers ramped up with before sunrise with a timed two-hour land navigation test, followed by a timed three-hour day land navigation test, and wrapped up with a board testing the troops' knowledge under pressure.
To round out the intense week, the troops met their final event first thing on day four, an Army Physical Fitness Test with a team emphasis, as each Soldier finished the run, they went back for their teammates, motivating them.
After all of that, Team "Sliders" from 18th Transportation Detachment was announced as the top team.
"We definitely weren't expecting to win," said 2nd Lt. Stephen Haley, the Sliders' team leader. "We were all in the suck together and just went out there to give it our best."
Shocked over winning, Spc. Charles Micalizzi said that competing in Warrior Week definitely helped him with leadership and building camaraderie.
He said, "It was difficult but, everyone pushed so hard and gave everything they had."
Social Sharing