SAN ANTONIO, Texas (April 26, 2018)- Competing in a series of physically demanding events under the San Antonio sun for two and a half days requires a special kind of Soldier. The Soldier must be physically and mentally tough but not necessarily large and muscular. In fact, 22-year-old competitor Cpl. Rebecca Dennis has the opposite body build.
Dennis made her way to the 2018 Best Warrior Competition held at JBSA Camp Bullis and Fort Sam Houston from April 23-26 to find out which NCO and Soldier from the Installation Management Command will come out on top and advance to the next round.
As the noncommissioned officer from IMCOM-Pacific, Dennis stands five feet, two inches tall. According to her mother, Cpt. Jennifer Dennis, "She probably weighs no more than 100 pounds soaking wet."
Dennis' petite physique shouldn't fool observers; she competed with the same level of intensity and grit as the other 19 Soldiers, some who were nearly twice her size.
"She is not a very tall person. As a child growing up she played at a higher level and pushed herself to compete because she was not the biggest kid out there. A lot of that determination carried over to the military," said James Dennis, Cpl. Dennis' father.
Her mother, Cpt. Dennis, a G1 personnel management branch chief in the Army Reserves, attributes her daughter's determination as a major contribution to her success.
"Her biggest asset is that she never gives up; you tell her she can't do something and she will. What she lacks in size she compensates in determination," Cpt. Dennis said.
Dennis' perseverance and athleticism helped her through the competition; she grew up playing, soccer, basketball and track. She currently participates in a basketball team at her local garrison, USAG Daegu, Korea.
"Her father was big on team events. He said you never give less than 100 percent. Your teammates are relying on you, and you don't get to quit even when it gets tough. She applies that to the military," Cpt. Dennis said.
Dennis completed various events at Camp Bullis including an obstacle course, a shooting range competition and night land navigation which proved to be a difficult mission.
"We started at 2 a.m., got our coordinates, plotted our points, then headed out. We were only able to use the red lens flashlight to spot check the map," Dennis said. "The whole time you're looking out for wild life. You could hear boar so you get a little distracted and your pace count gets thrown off."
Dennis won the Best Warrior NCO for IMCOM-Pacific but this is not her first victory. The combat documentation production specialist won NCO of the month, year and IMCOM-Pacific NCO of the year among other recognitions.
Her mother, who attended the awards ceremony with Dennis' father, speaks highly of her honors.
"[Rebecca] doesn't realize that only about two percent of the military has accomplished what she has. Every time I turn around she has gone further than I expected. She continues to shock me every day," Cpt. Dennis said.
Dennis participated in the Best Warrior Competition to test her abilities as an overall well-rounded Soldier.
"[I wanted] to prove that even people of my size and stature can compete against people who are bigger, taller and stronger. I competed and did the best that I could," Dennis said.
Quitting has never been an option for Dennis; she continually pushes herself and performs her duties with a high standard.
"She does not give up easily when pushed to the limits. From what I have heard from other Soldiers, she acts and does her job way above her rank, a lot of people think she is a higher rank than she is because of the way she carries herself," James Dennis said.
Although Dennis did not win the overall competition, she was able to learn what aspects she needs to strengthen to become a better Soldier.
"I expected to not only test my abilities but to find out where my weaknesses are and where I can improve for more competitions," Dennis said
Dennis received a certificate of recognition for her completion of the Best Warrior Competition along with various gifts from IMCOM.
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