WEBVTT

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- [Narrator] Soldiers participate

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in the Best Warrior competition this year

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to pursue the title of being the best warrior

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by going through a series of

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the most physically and mentally demanding challenges

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the competition has to offer.

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- The Best Warrior competition is where we bring

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the best of the best from our commands

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who have sent their warriors here to participate

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in all of the events, to eventually determine,

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for each of the four commands, who will compete

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at the USARC competition in June.

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- [Narrator] The soldiers arrived

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at the tactical training base

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and immediately began the competition

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with the Command Sargent's Major Board and written exam,

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both testing their knowledge, composure and professionalism.

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They then completed an Army physical fitness test,

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beginning with soldiers performing a series of pushups,

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situps and finally finishing with the timed two mile run

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to start the day and judge their physical capability.

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Competitors continued with being tested on their performance

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of various Army Warrior tasks,

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that include assembly and setup of a radio,

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properly requesting medical evacuation and others.

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Soldier's then trekked for hours through rough terrain

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using land navigation skills,

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finding permanently marked points

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and being tested on time and accuracy.

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But even though they were competing with one another,

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soldiers continued to learn from each other

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through peer mentorship.

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- Great battle boys that I've met here,

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spread the knowledge.

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Things I didn't know, I now know.

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The things we learn here go beyond the SOT,

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where we have our unit, as well as

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the classes that we were given.

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There's a chance to grow, there's a chance for us

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to spread the knowledge that I'm learning here,

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and everything that I've been taught

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to pass on to the soldiers at my unit.

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- [Narrator] Competitors then set their sights

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on the ranges.

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They qualified on M9 pistols and M16 rifles,

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actively engaging targets

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under considerably stressed and strenuous situations.

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Even the gas chamber didn't shake their perseverance

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or the camaraderie they had for each other.

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- I just like competition, you know.

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I like the spirited core that it brings.

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Everyone has a chance to show what they're made of.

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- [Narrator] These soldiers finish off strong

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with a 12 mile run march,

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winding through undulating and woodland terrain

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with added weight, and a written essay

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to show the staff of the Best Warrior competition

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why they deserved to be recognized as one of the elite.

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- You had to be well-rounded.

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You couldn't come in here just as a fitness stud,

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or good with just weapons,

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or good even on an exam or a board.

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You had to be a well-rounded soldier,

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and I think that's what makes this competition special,

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is that you really have to know

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everything about being a United States Army soldier.

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I learned that you have to focus.

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You gotta focus on the task at hand.

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Some things are gonna go right,

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some things may not go as you had planned.

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You gotta be able to adapt, be versatile, be flexible

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and never quit.

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- After assessing their overall performance

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and tallying all of their points,

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the winners will move up to the US Army Reserve

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command level competition to once again battle

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with other best warriors from other major commands

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around the world.

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But every participant's diligence and persistence paid off,

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regardless of the winners of this competition,

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as soldiers can learn from their experiences,

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mentor and inspire others and return even stronger

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and improve their readiness to compete

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for the coveted title next year.

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Reporting for the Devens Reserve Forces training area

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in Massachusets, I'm Army Staff Sargent Ray Borne.

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(audience claps)