Fort Indiantown Gap, Pa. -- The officers of 174th Infantry Brigade gathered to prove their warrior skills and compete in the annual best officer competition Aug. 26 at Fort Indiantown Gap, Pennsylvania.
The day started by pushing the limits of their physical endurance with a 12-mile foot march. However, to identify the best, further challenges awaited them. At every mile the officers were presented with an Army warrior task to test their basic Soldier skills and additional physical tasks to further fatigue their already weary bodies.
"For the skill level tasks, they were a little tougher. I can assemble a weapon, plot points, or put on a gas mask without giving it a second thought. Since I rarely program a MBITR (Multiband Inter/Intra-Team Radio , perform CLS (Combat Lifesaver) actions, or place a claymore mine, I knew that I needed to freshen up on those skills. Therefore, I read though manuals and the OC/T [observer coach/trainer] handbook," explained Maj. Joseph Knowlton Jr., executive officer for the 1st Battalion, 307th Infantry Regiment, 174th Infantry Brigade. "I also talked through various steps with some experts I know. When it came time to execute, I paced myself and maximized the allotted time for areas I felt less comfortable," said Knowlton.
This competition is not just to see who is the best of the officers but also shows Soldiers what they are capable of and the skills they may need to improve.
"It identifies each Soldier's deficiencies and what basic core tasks they need to focus on more than just an annual/semi-annual basis," said Capt. Michael Saville, brigade intelligence officer-in-charge for the 174th.
Although this one-day competition was difficult for some, it serves as a valuable benchmark for improvement. If Soldiers can comfortably and confidently do a one-day competition such as this best officer competition, then conducting patrols or other day-to-day missions as a leader will be less arduous.
"If Soldiers recognize the areas that need improving and appreciate the fact that these skills have to be refreshed and updated, they will be better prepared for an active-duty post and ultimately deployment," Knowlton said. "Competitions of this caliber are a snapshot of what a Soldier may do day to day at some level."
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First Army Division East, in partnership with the U.S. Army Reserve and Army National Guard, advises, assists and trains reserve component forces, in both pre- and post-mobilization, through multi-component integrated collective training, in accordance with Army Total Force Policy, Department of the Army, U.S. Forces Command and First Army directives to achieve Army Force Generation directed readiness requirements.
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