WEBVTT 00:00.009 --> 00:01.898 My name is Star Major Christopher 00:01.898 --> 00:04.065 mcdougall and I am the Star Major with 00:04.065 --> 00:06.398 7 59th MP battalion here in Fort Carson . 00:06.398 --> 00:08.120 Today , started our best squad 00:08.120 --> 00:10.120 competition for the 89th MP Brigade 00:10.120 --> 00:12.180 will run from today through Thursday 00:12.189 --> 00:13.911 where we determine of the four 00:13.911 --> 00:16.133 battalions , uh a winner . So we have a 00:16.133 --> 00:18.189 pretty jam packed schedule of events 00:18.189 --> 00:20.078 that we'll uh do throughout the , 00:20.078 --> 00:21.911 throughout the week started this 00:21.911 --> 00:24.133 morning with a mass PT event . Moved on 00:24.133 --> 00:23.819 to the obstacle course from there . We 00:23.829 --> 00:25.496 came out to the range , we're 00:25.496 --> 00:27.551 conducting our , our M 17 and M four 00:27.551 --> 00:29.662 qualifications from here . We'll move 00:29.662 --> 00:31.718 out to the one of the training areas 00:31.718 --> 00:33.885 and conduct day and night land n along 00:33.885 --> 00:36.107 with some esb testing , we have several 00:36.107 --> 00:38.107 written tests that competitors will 00:38.107 --> 00:38.009 undergo over the next couple of days 00:38.020 --> 00:40.076 tomorrow . We'll have a 12 mile foot 00:40.076 --> 00:42.298 march followed by a maintenance event . 00:42.298 --> 00:44.464 We're back at the motor pool , uh then 00:44.464 --> 00:46.464 a combative tournament , we'll wake 00:46.464 --> 00:48.687 them up Thursday morning and then close 00:48.687 --> 00:50.909 out with a formal board . I don't think 00:50.909 --> 00:53.020 I can tell you that there's one event 00:53.020 --> 00:55.187 that's more important than the other . 00:55.187 --> 00:54.669 And I think all of them are , we're 00:54.680 --> 00:56.569 kind of testing the whole soldier 00:56.569 --> 00:58.513 concept out here . Um , so I think 00:58.513 --> 01:00.736 they're all fairly important best squad 01:00.736 --> 01:02.791 competitions or soldier of the month 01:02.791 --> 01:04.847 soldier of the quarter , any type of 01:04.847 --> 01:06.958 competition that you can get soldiers 01:06.958 --> 01:06.540 to do , makes them better and makes 01:06.550 --> 01:08.494 those around them better . I don't 01:08.494 --> 01:10.661 necessarily think that the competition 01:10.661 --> 01:12.717 itself is all telling . I think it's 01:12.717 --> 01:12.449 the work that leads up to the 01:12.459 --> 01:14.292 competition , the training , the 01:14.292 --> 01:16.515 studying the preparation , the hands on 01:16.515 --> 01:18.681 testing and things of that nature that 01:18.681 --> 01:20.848 make soldiers better and then it makes 01:20.848 --> 01:23.015 soldiers around them want to be better 01:23.015 --> 01:25.070 as well . This training is important 01:25.070 --> 01:24.790 for soldiers . Number one , because it 01:24.800 --> 01:27.022 brings back the warrior task skills and 01:27.022 --> 01:29.022 battle drills , skill level one and 01:29.022 --> 01:30.967 also incorporates non commissioned 01:30.967 --> 01:33.022 officers that are in those squads in 01:33.022 --> 01:32.319 order to lead those soldiers and 01:32.330 --> 01:34.219 actually test their troop leading 01:34.219 --> 01:36.219 abilities to make sure that they're 01:36.219 --> 01:35.720 actually squared away and know what to 01:35.730 --> 01:37.619 do and accomplish the task . Best 01:37.619 --> 01:39.952 squads are important because number one , 01:39.952 --> 01:42.174 it identifies our gaps and weaknesses . 01:42.174 --> 01:41.605 And number two , it also identifies our 01:41.614 --> 01:43.836 strengths . It shows our commanders and 01:43.836 --> 01:45.947 NC OS are not commissioned officers , 01:45.947 --> 01:47.947 what we need to do to train more in 01:47.947 --> 01:50.114 order to make , make sure our soldiers 01:50.114 --> 01:52.170 are skilled , adaptable and lethal . 01:52.170 --> 01:54.225 This event brings camaraderie number 01:54.225 --> 01:56.447 one , because you're in it to win it no 01:56.447 --> 01:55.944 matter what it is , we bring in the 01:55.955 --> 01:58.122 best of the best in the soldiers . And 01:58.122 --> 02:00.233 if you're out here doing what you got 02:00.233 --> 02:02.011 to do , it's easy to bring that 02:02.011 --> 02:01.915 camaraderie . It builds out a spirit of 02:01.925 --> 02:04.036 corps , not only within ourselves but 02:04.036 --> 02:06.036 within the team and also within our 02:06.036 --> 02:08.092 brigade . I think if you look at the 02:08.092 --> 02:10.468 cohesion within the 80 n and what a 02:10.479 --> 02:12.368 competition like this does is the 02:12.368 --> 02:14.201 interaction between not just the 02:14.201 --> 02:16.201 command teams that are here but the 02:16.201 --> 02:18.423 soldiers themselves hearing about , you 02:18.423 --> 02:17.718 know , how their units do something , 02:17.729 --> 02:19.785 what's important to their leadership 02:19.785 --> 02:21.562 back home . Um Some of the best 02:21.562 --> 02:23.618 practices , what they did , maybe to 02:23.618 --> 02:25.785 train to get here , things like that . 02:25.785 --> 02:28.062 And they can share some of those ideas , 02:28.062 --> 02:27.410 share some of those practices and then 02:27.419 --> 02:29.419 they make contact . So , you know , 02:29.419 --> 02:31.363 every few years we P CS or we move 02:31.363 --> 02:33.919 around uh the world and , you know , 02:33.929 --> 02:36.040 you run into these people again and , 02:36.040 --> 02:38.151 you know , I think that's important . 02:38.151 --> 02:40.207 So I think competitions like this do 02:40.207 --> 02:39.410 bring soldiers together , builds 02:39.419 --> 02:41.363 cohesion . I mean , I think if you 02:41.363 --> 02:43.475 spend any time around any of the four 02:43.475 --> 02:43.350 teams are out here and just see how 02:43.360 --> 02:45.527 they talk to each other , see how they 02:45.527 --> 02:47.638 interact with each other , you know , 02:47.638 --> 02:49.638 it's deeper than , you know , maybe 02:49.638 --> 02:49.289 working in the motor pool together or 02:49.300 --> 02:51.244 something like that . They've been 02:51.244 --> 02:53.411 through some pretty rigorous events so 02:53.411 --> 02:55.633 far . Um And I think all of that brings 02:55.633 --> 02:57.522 them , you know , brings the team 02:57.522 --> 02:56.660 closer together .