The day before the Nov. 19 Installation Management Command change of responsibility ceremony, the outgoing Command Sergeant Major Melissa Judkins received a special parting gift from the World Class Athlete Program.
Soldier-athletes from WCAP, an IMCOM program, came to Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston to be the color guard in the COR and give Judkins a private sparring session.
Judkins sparred with Sgt. Jesse Cervantes, a heavy weight WCAP boxer. Cervantes said Judkins did very well and does not realize how strong she is after he took a couple of body shots from her.
"Today was definitely one of the most intimidating and fun experiences I have ever had while in the Army," said Cervantes.
When Cervantes told Judkins to go for a face shot, Judkins laughed and paused to say, "You're killing me, this goes against everything I know."
Cervantes said he taught Judkins some "simple combinations that could win a fight" and how to throw punches during movement.
"I take great pride in getting the privilege of not only getting to interact with Command Sgt. Maj. Judkins but sparring with her because I know she has done a lot for WCAP," said Cervantes.
Judkins mentioned that WCAP makes for a great Soldier because participating in athletic competitions and being a Soldier go hand in hand.
"WCAP is one of the places that I see the Army being truly effective in bringing Soldiers to athletic competitions but also showing civilians what the Army has to offer," said Judkins.
Judkins has been a huge advocate for WCAP, according to Sgt. Michael Rushing, a taekwondo Soldier-athlete.
"She sees the value of representing the Army at an international spotlight of a stage and the value of bringing that level of competition to the rest of the Army," said Rushing.
The sparring session is one of the many activities that WCAP uses while teaching a unit during a Total Soldier Enchantment Training mission.
During a TSET mission, Soldier-athletes visit an Army unit to increase readiness by teaching mental and physical resilience, performance enhancement techniques, and healthy diet lessons. The Soldier-athletes show the units how they train and walk them through new types of physical exercise.
"A lot of the leaders in organizations where our Soldiers go for the TSET program immediately email me and tell me the impact of what our Soldiers are doing," said Judkins. "Leaders love the program. It really fits into where the Army is going with the Army Combat Fitness Test."
Cervantes mentioned that TSET is a way for WCAP to give back to the Army and switch up a unit's normal training regimen.
"We want Soldiers in the Army to realize that their bodies are capable of a lot of things," said Cervantes. "Our main focus is resiliency."
At the end of the session, Judkins was presented with a pair of signed boxing gloves.
The day after the TSET sparring session, WCAP soldier-athletes made up the ceremonial color guard during the change of responsibility.
"WCAP is one of my favorite programs, and I couldn't imagine doing a ceremony without having them in a little part of it," said Judkins.
Judkins will be cheering on WCAP at the U.S. Boxing Olympic Trials in December.
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