84th TC, 11th TAC and ARCD host Joint Best Warrior Competition
By Lt. Col. Dana Kelly
| 84th Training Command | April 11, 2016
April 11, 2016 --
Hosted by the 84th Training Command (TC), 11th Theater Aviation Command (TAC), and the Army Reserve Careers Division (ARCD), the competition was designed to replicate the Army Reserve Best Warrior Competition.
From sun up to sun down, the competitors were put through the paces. An early morning physical fitness test followed by a weapons range, the late night land navigation course leading to the early morning ruck march and the obstacle course; all of this was intermixed with mystery events and “hip pocket training.”
Staff Sgt. Joseph Mojica from 3rd Battalion, 318th Regiment, 78th Training Division, 84th TC, thought the competition was challenging, but fun. He trained heavily for it while also working and going to school full-time. His advice for Soldiers interested in competing is to “train every day and study hard.”
One interesting aspect of the competition was how the Soldiers banded together in a short amount of time.
They pushed themselves for the competitive edge while simultaneously motivating each other.
The Soldiers used what little downtime they had to get to know each other. Sgt. Jonathan Libbey, also from the 3-318th, reflected on his time spent in the Old Guard and shared a few tips on preparing the Army service uniform. Others, such as Spc. Jason McCord, simply focused on the experience. This was the first Best Warrior for McCord, an Army Reserve Air Traffic Controller assigned to 2nd Battalion, 58th Aviation Regiment, 11th TAC. “I wasn’t sure what to expect,” said McCord, “but I would definitely be interested in competing again. It was very well organized.”
Organization was key since the competition was designed to be as intense as possible in a short amount of time.
For three days and a wake up, they battled each other to be one of the best. These Army Reserve Soldiers became achingly familiar with Fort Knox’s “Misery” and “Agony”, but they also became familiar with disappointment and defeat as only four were selected to represent their commands at the Army Reserve Best Warrior Competition.
Sgt. Elizabeth Fowler, 3rd Battalion, 290th Regiment, 91st Training Division, and Spc. Steven McEown, 78th Training Division, were selected to represent the 84th TC. Sgt. Angel Hunter, 90th Aviation Support Battalion, was selected to represent the 11th TAC. Sgt. Robert Jones, 11th Battalion, was selected to represent ARCD. Jones knows what it takes to compete at the USARC Best Warrior. “This is my fifth one; I competed in the USARC competition in 2014. This was a good one; it definitely prepares you for the next level.”