Video

Video by Sgt. Stephen Wright

Arkansas National Guard Best Warrior Competition - PT Test and Mystery Event

Arkansas National Guard Public Affairs Office

March 1, 2017 | 1:47

Soldiers from various units in the Arkansas National Guard, along with soldiers from the Guatemalan army's special forces (kaibil), were tested on their physical strength and endurance during a physical fitness test.
The physical fitness test is one of the many tasks that the soldiers are tested on during the Arkansas National Guard's best warrior competition.
Guatemala is Arkansas' partner nation in the state partnership program. The Arkansas National Guard regularly conducts training with the Guatemalan army.
After completing the physical fitness test, the soldiers were then instructed to complete a mystery event. This event tested the soldier’s knowledge of basic army warrior tasks.
Competitors arrived on scene, blindfolded, to prevent them from seeing any of the tasks ahead of them. After removing the blindfold, individually, each competitor was given instructions on how to complete the course.
The first task instructed competitors to run to a specified location on a trail. Along their entire trek, they were instructed to memorize specific items they observed, in plain sight, throughout the course.
The first stop required soldiers to dawn their protective mask (pro-mask / gas mask) in under nine seconds. They were then instructed to run to the second station while still memorizing certain items along the way.
At the second stop, the soldiers were simply instructed to take their protective mask off, then they were directed to continue running to the third station.
At the third station, competitors were instructed to reassemble three military weapons that were completely disassembled. The weapons the competitors had to reassemble were the U.S. army m-9, a 9mm pistol, the m-4, a 5.56 caliber rifle, and the m-249, the squad automatic weapon which is also referred to as the "saw".
After reassembling all three weapons under ten minutes, the competitors then had to run to the fourth station. At this station, the soldiers then had to drag a first aid litter, troop carrying device, over 100 yards. The litter had weights on it that totaled nearly 200 pounds.
At the final station the soldiers were then given a written test that asked them to list the items along the course that they were supposed to commit to memory.