FORT BENNING, Ga., (May 4, 2016) -- It's like the Super Bowl for tankers," said Sgt. Patrick O'Malley, gunner for 1st Squadron, 16th Cavalry Regiment, 316 Cavalry Brigade crew in the 2016 Sullivan Cup.
The Sullivan Cup, held every two years, officially kicked off May 2 and will go until May 6. The competition features the best 16 tank teams the Army has to offer, and this year includes a Canadian team representing the Royal Canadian Armored Corps.
"There are a lot more than 16 crews in the entire Army, so it's pretty prestigious. When you go to the Sullivan Cup you know you are going against the best," said O'Malley.
According to the 2016 Sullivan Cup website, the Sullivan Cup is a realistic and challenging six day competition that tests tank crews on physical fitness, problem solving, tactical maneuvers and precision gunnery skills. The 2014 winning tank team of the Sullivan Cup was 2nd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment, 3rd ABCT.
The Sullivan Cup features four main events; the armor crewmen proficiency test, tank STX event, crew live fire event and a crew shoot-off event. The final day will feature a shoot-off between the top four crews to determine the winning team.
Staff Sgt. Eric Lemelin, tank commander for 1st Squadron 16th Calvary Regiment, said that the competition helps to bring the Armor community together.
"The camaraderie between units, tankers coming together; Armor is a small world, and with this competition it brings a small world to an even smaller world," said Lemelin.
For 1st Squadron 16th Calvary Regiment, winning the competition for their unit and the Armor School would mean a lot.
"Everyone we work with has had to sacrifice a lot of time while we were training up," said O'Malley. "Our platoon alone loses four people while we are training up, so it would mean a lot to them and for the whole Armor School."
The official award ceremony will recognize the top three crews and will be held May 6 at 5 p.m. at the Ironworks, Georgia Convention and Trade Center, with the Armor Ball immediately following.
To watch the competition, spectators can catch a bus that will transport them to the location of the events. For the full transportation schedule and locations of where to catch the bus, visit benning.army.mil/Sullivan/TransportationSchedule.
Spectators are also encouraged to follow the event on social media on Twitter @SullivanCup and Facebook at Sullivan Cup: Best Tank Crew Competition. For daily score updates, check the Sullivan Cup Facebook page.
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