Historically, the Army has recognized top performing individuals, but this doesn't do justice to the key of the Army’s effectiveness: a highly trained and cohesive squad. The Army addressed this gap last year with the first ever Best Squad Competition at Fort Liberty, North Carolina. This year, they wanted to build the competition even further at Fort Stewart, Georgia by adding an event that was open to the public and held at Forsyth Park in Savannah. Soldiers from each major command competed in a functional fitness challenge with spectators from the local community and beyond all there to show support.
The 3rd Infantry Division has close ties with the local community. Fort Stewart has been within an hour of the Hostess City since November 1940, and is a major employer in the region. Close to 500 people showed up to cheer Soldiers on, some from as far away as Arkansas.
"With him being stationed in Alaska, we don't get to see him as often as we'd like, so we thought even if we just see this today [the fitness challenge], it would be worth coming down to cheer him on and support him," said Melissa Byland, mother of Spc. Eric Byland, a native of Bentonville, Arkansas and a member of the squad representing U.S. Army Pacific Command.
Forsyth Park is a destination for many events throughout the year, and the venue served as an ideal place for the mystery event of the Best Squad Competition. 12 army teams went through the circuit, while members of the public were able compete beforehand once they signed a waiver. Medical support was on standby for any injuries that could possibly be incurred.
Among the many onlookers to the competition was Sergeant Major of the Army Michael R. Weimer, who had this to say about the competition; “We (soldiers) love to compete. It's in our DNA.” “We want to make sure the community sees what we're doing and that the community knows their army.”
It is important for the community to be involved in an event like the Army Best Squad Competition, so that both civilians and armed service members alike can see what the Army is capable of. Every team competing in the Army Best Squad Competition has previously competed and won their respective division- and command-level competitions.
“We (soldiers) love to test ourselves and compete. That's a good thing, that's a healthy thing, that's a healthy culture” said Weimer “and so we knew if we created this competition, we could do that. But the second thing is we're also with the community.”
Fitness is something that connects people from all across the Nation. The science of fitness has evolved over time, and therefore the Army has also transformed into a culture of fitness. Physical readiness is tied into everything the Army does, so having a functional fitness event be open to the public as part of the Army’s biggest competition is a clear step for community outreach.
“I want to thank the Soldiers,” said Weimer, “I gotta get Third Infantry Division a shout out, Third Infantry Division has grabbed this mission, and they've been running with it, and it shows because we're having an awesome competition.”
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