JTF Parwan hosts Combat Skills Challenge at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan

By Master Sgt. Nicholas Blevins, Joint Task Force ParwanApril 4, 2019

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1 / 16 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Sgt. Mirsad Taletovic, Bosnia and Herzegovina Contingent, U.S. Forces -- Afghanistan, fires as Army Sgt. 1st Class Jeremy Bugher, range safety, Joint Task Force Parwan, U.S. Forces -- Afghanistan, observes during the Combat Skills Challenge March 30... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
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5 / 16 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Army Criminal Investigation Command Special Agent Shawn Hemphill, Task Force Justice, drags a weighted human dummy to the next station during the Combat Skills Challenge March 30 at Maholic Range, Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan. (Photo by Jon Micheal C... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
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8 / 16 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Sgt. Mirsad Taletovic, Bosnia and Herzegovina Contingent, U.S. Forces -- Afghanistan, runs to the end point to complete his portion of the Combat Skills Challenge held March 30 at Maholic Range, Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan. (Photo by Jon Micheal Co... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
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9 / 16 Show Caption + Hide Caption – A Czech Republic soldier, Task Force Lion, runs to the end point to complete his portion of the Combat Skills Challenge as Sgt. 1st Class Jeremy Bugher, range safety, Joint Task Force Parwan, stays in stride March 30 at Maholic Range, Bagram Airfield... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
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10 / 16 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Capt. William Konovsky, Task Force White Eagle, Illinois Army National Guard, drags a weighted human dummy to the next station during the Combat Skills Challenge March 30 at Maholic Range, Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan. Sgt. 1st Class Jeremy Bugher, r... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
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11 / 16 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Capt. William Konovsky, Task Force White Eagle, Illinois Army National Guard and Sgt. 1st Class Jeremy Bugher, range safety, Joint Task Force Parwan, U.S. Forces -- Afghanistan, run down to the end point to complete Konovsky's portion of the Combat S... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
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13 / 16 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Army Maj. Eddie Porter, Joint Task Force -- Parwan, U.S. Forces -- Afghanistan, inputs scores as Army Maj. Jonathan Krepel, JTF Parwan, USFOR -- A, loads ammunition during the Combat Skills Challenge March 30 at Maholic Range, Bagram Airfield, Afgha... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
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15 / 16 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Master Sgt. Nicholas Blevins, range officer in charge, Joint Task Force Parwan, U.S. Forces -- Afghanistan, briefs Army Command Sgt. Maj. John Brennan, 20th Engineer Brigade, during the Combat Skills Challenge March 30 at Maholic Range, Bagram Airfi... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
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16 / 16 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Sgt. 1st Class Martin Kolbabek (center), Czech Republic -- Task Force Lion, displays his certificate for first place, flanked to his right by Army Sgt. Christian Long, 264th Engineer Clearance Company , second place, and to Kolbabek's left, Army Sgt.... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan -- Joint Task Force Parwan conducted a Combat Skills Challenge here March 30 at Maholic Range consisting of firing from five different distances incorporating the four out of the six basic Soldier fundamentals: Shoot, Move, Communicate and Medicate.

A total of 57 competitors from the Czech Republic, Poland, Romania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the U.S., which included representatives from U.S. Air Force and U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command, commonly known as CID.

The event was conducted to test Soldier combat skills, develop leaders, and strengthen the partnership with coalition partners through a complex and diverse live-fire competition.

The physically demanding event -- with varying degrees of difficulty -- forced participants to shoot from the standing, kneeling, and prone positions with both a rifle and pistol while incorporating Tactical Combat Causality Care or TC3. Many competitors said they were surprised by the difficulty of the course, yet agreed it was a reality check on their combat skills.

Army Lieutenant Colonel David Markiewicz, deputy director, JTF Parwan, presented awards to the top three winners. Each participant received a Certificate of Achievement and a JTF Parwan coin of excellence. The top three competitors were:

First place: Sgt. 1st Class Martin Kolbabek (Czech Republic) -- Task Force Lion

Second place: Sgt. Christian Long (U.S.) -- 264th Engineer Clearance Company

Third place: Sgt. 1st Class Cody Williams (U.S.) -- JTF Parwan