Fort Sill logisticians battle for best squad

By Jeff Crawley, Fort Sill CannoneerAugust 6, 2015

Reach
1 / 5 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Staff Sgt. Claude Combs, 15th Transportation Company, along with his RKO squad members, scrambles through the low crawl obstacle July 30, 2015, at the Combat Conditioning Course. Sixty-six Soldier-logisticians from the 100th Brigade Support Battalion... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Sprint
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LZ panel
3 / 5 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Pfc. Nicole Cerqueria and Sgt. Melvin Escue, of the Wild Deuce squad, lay panels to establish a landing zone July 29, 2015, near Apache Gate. They had to ensure it was not too close to obstructions, was the proper 'Y' shape and that it would face the... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Land nav
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Avengers
5 / 5 Show Caption + Hide Caption – The Avengers squad display their first-place trophy July 30, 2015. Squad members were: Pfc. Cody Barlow, Spc. Matthew Sweeney, Pfc. Gabrielle Davidson, Pfc. Timmy Phan, Squad Leader Sgt. Kristopher Childs and Spc. Alfredo Rivera. Team members also re... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

FORT SILL, Okla. (Aug. 6, 2015) -- After three days of intense fitness challenges and warrior task testing, the Avengers won the 100th Brigade Support Battalion's (BSB) first Best Squad Competition July 30.

The grueling competition drew 66 logistical Soldiers from the battalion's three support companies, who competed as six-person squads.

Sgt. Kristopher Childs led his junior enlisted Soldiers to win the competition.

"We just never got comfortable during the competition because we saw everybody around us doing well," said Childs, who is the land and ammo noncommissioned officer in the S3 Plans and Operations office. "We knew it was anybody's game."

The competition was so close that it came down to the final event, said 1st Lt. John Daley, assistant S3 officer and competition organizer. He designed the challenge to get the young Soldiers performing basic combat skills in a teamwork setting.

The 335 Soldiers of the 100th BSB's Headquarters Support Company, 15th Transportation Company and 258th Network Support Company provide logistical support to 75th Field Artillery Brigade.

Command Sgt. Maj. Tony Stephens, 100th BSB, said the Best Squad Competition was designed to instill confidence. It is also a reminder that Soldiering not only encompasses one's military occupational specialty, but also combat skills every Soldier is required to know.

The competition offered a break from the routines of being a vehicle mechanic, fueler, communications specialist, supply specialist, small arms repairer and the numerous other support jobs that 100th BSB Soldiers perform, the CSM said. The battalion plans to make the competition an annual event.

Day 1 began at 5:30 a.m. with crew-served weapons familiarization and range qualifications with the M-249 and M-240B machine guns, as well as assembly and disassembly of the M-4 rifle and M-2 machine guns, Stephens said.

Competitors were also given written tests covering Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and Prevention, Equal Opportunity and Army standards (Blue Book).

Pfc. George Crawford, saw the competition as a good opportunity to do something different from his duties as a motor transport operator.

"I had fun the entire time in the competition," said Crawford, who competed as part of the We Up squad.

What did he gain from the competition?

"I knew I could push myself, but I didn't think I could keep going and going. I surprised myself," he said. "My teammates made sure I got through it."

Day 2 consisted of a six-point land navigation course. At three of the points the squads had to complete warrior tasks. Those tasks included splinting a fracture on an injured Soldier, who then had to be transported on a litter, and setting up a landing zone for a helicopter to medevac the injured. The final task was a simulated nuclear, biological, chemical attack and squads had to don their gas masks and Mission Oriented Protective Posture suits.

Sgt. Melvin Escue, 15TC, led the Wild Deuce squad.

"We're doing well," he said after the land nav event. "Honestly, if it weren't for my outstanding Soldiers I would have gotten lost."

Staff Sgt. Bradley Smalley, HSC radar repair supervisor, was one of the many NCOs who helped run the competition. He evaluated squads on how well they set up a landing zone using orange identification panels.

"I'll be evaluating if they set up the panels in the proper (Y) shape, if the LZ is too close to trees or other structures, and if they keep up perimeter security," Smalley said.

Day 3 began at O-dark-30 at the BSB headquarters building with a six-mile road march to the Combat Conditioning Course, which is on the basic training side of Fort Sill. With virtually no rest after the march, the competitors as a squad had to go through about 12 obstacles at the CCC.

Competitor Pfc. Stephanie Zometa, 15TC Motor Pool fueler, said she gained much experience in Soldiers skills from the competition. She said the most challenging event for her was the road march.

"I did good, my team helped me out a lot," she said.

She added that when there is another competition that she will go at it again.

Pfc. Dylan Jenkins, 15TC mechanic, said he is a naturally competitive person so he was drawn to the Best Squad event. He said it was a good work out with a lot of camaraderie.

Lt. Col. Jon Lust, 100th BSB commander, completed the road march and CCC with one of the squads.

"Noncombat arms Soldiers have the hardest job in the Army because they are expected to be an Army warrior, and they're also expected to be technically proficient at their job," Lust said.

After the competition ended, the first sergeants prepared a barbecue lunch for the competitors, and Lust and Stephens presented awards.