FORT STEWART, Ga. - Three Vanguard Brigade Soldiers faced off against their regiment's best in an intense competition held at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., Sept. 15-19.
Making the 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team's first appearance at the Army-wide competition, Sgt. Kyle Stine, Spc. Kevin Little and Spc. Mack Grindstaff battled 33 three-man teams at the Military Police Corps Regiment's 13th annual Warfighter Challenge.
The 96-hour competition featured 12 physically punishing events, including a physical fitness assessment, obstacle course, water survival course, reacting to sniper fire and road marches.
"The physical fitness assessment was no ordinary Army PT test," said Sgt. Stine, an MP with the 4-3 Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 4th IBCT. "We had to do three minutes of elevated push-ups, three minutes of sit-ups with 25-pound weights and three minutes of pull-ups followed by a 6.2 mile run while wearing (the Army Combat Uniform) and boots. We then pushed a humvee, and this was only the first day."
The Englewood, Ohio, native said the tasks got harder as time went on. He said he and his teammates road marched 10 miles to a qualification range, rappelled off Warrior Tower, swam 50 meters while carrying a 200-pound mannequin above water, and performed common warrior tasks such as disassembling a weapon and administering first aid.
"The last ruck march was the most challenging," Sgt. Stine said. "It was 15 miles, and we were carrying 60 pounds. We had to keep reminding ourselves that it was the last event, and after that we were done."
The team leader said his crew was selected for the event based on their Army Physical Fitness Test scores and overall knowledge of warrior tasks. Although his team did not enter the winning circle, Sgt. Stine said just being selected to compete was a win in itself.
"We were one of 34 teams in the whole MP Corps that got to go," he said. "We went there, we did our best, and we finished it."
Sergeant Stine advises future competitors to train hard and thoroughly learn the common Soldier tasks.
"I would definitely try (and compete) again," he said. "And next time, I'd try to do better and hopefully place."
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