CAMP ATTERBURY, Ind. (Army News Service, Sept. 28, 2010) -- Screams of triumph, pain and frustration were heard throughout the four-day competition, held Sept. 20-24, where more than 60 Job Corps students from across the nation competed in an intense training exercise at the Joint Maneuver Training Center here.
The eight teams competed for title of best Job Corps Center in the United States during the Fifth Annual National Field Training Exercise, and the obstacles they faced demanded attention to detail, physical endurance and team solidarity to complete.
The obstacles included conducting first aid with simulated victims, a maneuvering over a 25-foot-tall logged ladder, examining a crime scene investigation, and many more challenging training exercises.
The Job Corps Center from Gadsden, Ala., won the competition by scoring the most points.
The competition was not something the team won over night. It took the Gadsden team months of preparation and studying manuals to prepare for the FTX, said Michael Baldwin, a student with the Gadsden Job Corps Center.
"It was a lot of team work and leadership that lead us to victory," he said. "I pushed myself to the limit and I enjoyed it."
Baldwin, who plans on joining the National Guard and getting a degree in Criminal Justice, said the most challenging and beneficial part of the competition was the Camp Atterbury Leadership Reaction Course because of the unique obstacles the team encountered.
They used each other as human ladders, while using arms and legs as ropes as they worked together to find creative ways to maneuver team members up and over barriers.
"Holding team members over a ledge shows the strength and trust in your team," Baldwin said. "This competition helped me gain knowledge that I will need to accomplish the goals I set in future."
Job Corps trains students in homeland security and military career preparation. They take a series of 440 different courses and each course is certified by the Department of Labor, said John Valis, the executive coordinator for the organization's Military Careers Preparation Program.
"It is a rough course they have to take and that is what this competition is all about," he said. "Job Corps is all about the students and giving them the best training so they can find employment."
Social Sharing