Lieutenants were tested on numerous leadership qualities to see where they would best perform in their battalion's different companies in a competition held on Fort Carson, Oct. 2.
Leaders from 2nd General Support Aviation Battalion, 4th Aviation Regiment, 4th Combat Aviation Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, conducted a competition dubbed the "Lieutenant Olympics."
"The events in this competition were held to get most of the lieutenants in our unit together and evaluate their leadership abilities," said Capt. Anthony Tankiewicz, assistant operations officer and competition coordinator. "The competition also helps us create an order of merit list that allows the lieutenants to request a specific company. But ultimately, the commanders will have the final say on which lieutenant they get."
The company commanders took a personal interest in the competition and who would best fit on their command teams.
"We invited the company commanders to help evaluate our young leaders," said Lt. Col. Tyler Smith, commander, 2nd GSAB, 4th Avn. Reg. "I will talk with the commanders after the competition on how the lieutenants did and where they would best fit in each of their companies."
The competition included aviator tasks, but it also incorporated personality, mental and physical tests.
"We started with Black Hawk simulator tests and flight plan evaluations," said Tankiewicz. "We then gave them a simple personality test to see how they would best fit with the personalities of their possible commanders. We gave them a six-event physical fitness test which consisted of pushups, situps, 2-mile run, rope climb, pull-ups and dips. "We ended the competition with an
assigned research paper presentation consisting of 10 minutes and board testing their military knowledge," he said.
1st Lt. Chester Haner, assistant operations officer, said the competition helped the lieutenants earn things about themselves that could help them evaluate and fine tune their leadership skills.
"Besides getting a chance to possibly go to the companies that we want, we get to learn strengths and weaknesses in our leadership styles," he said. "We get to show the leadership our abilities outside of our appointed jobs. We also get to learn what we need to work on in all the aspects of the 'well-rounded leader concept.'"
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