Guard members attend opening ceremony for NATO Military Reserve Officers' Skills Pentathlon

by Army National Guard 1st Sgt. D. Keith Johnson
354th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

HOVELTE, Denmark (7/30/12) - As the 2012 Olympics grand opening ceremony took place Friday night before millions across the world, several Guard members were part lesser known but eagerly awaited, opening ceremony that took place not too far away to a slightly smaller crowd.

The grand opening ceremony for NATO’s 2012 Interallied Confederation of Reserve Officers’ Military Skills Competition took place Friday evening at The Garrison of Hoevelte, home of the Danish Royal Lifeguards, tasked with protecting the Danish royal family.

The Military Skills Competition is a pentathlon comprised of 200-meter rifle marksmanship, 25-meter pistol marksmanship, 500-meter land obstacle course, 50-meter water obstacle course and a 10 to 15-kilometer orienteering course. This year’s field includes 35 three-person teams, plus support personnel, from 14 countries.

Team U.S. Military this year has one Men’s Novice team, and two female competitors who will compete on international teams. International teams are formed when a delegation arrives with not enough competitors to make up a three-person team.

U.S. Navy Reserve Cmdr. Grant Staats, is confident in his small team’s capabilities.

“The U.S. team is very well prepared this year. We are hoping with our strong Novices who have strengths in all five disciplines, we have a good showing,” he said. “They definitely have the potential. The women’s team also has the potential.”

Staats, is the commanding officer for the Joint Reserve Unit, Special Operations Command – Joint Capabilities, and has been involved with the U.S. Team since 1995, as a competitor for 12 years and officer in charge for the last five years.

The U.S. Team conducted a 13-day training camp in Burlington, Vermont, using facilities at the Vermont National Guard Olympic Training Center, Camp Johnson, Ethan Allen Rifle Range and St. Michael’s College near Burlington, Vt. Training took 11 days, including two days of time trials. Advanced marksmanship, advanced land navigation, nutrition, visualization, Laws of Armed Conflict and combat first-aid were the main topics.

“It was a packed two weeks, but essential,” said U.S. Air Force Reserve Maj. Brendon Ritz, who is assigned to the Pacific Command Operations cell. He is also the oldest Novice competitor ever to compete on the U.S. Team.

Pennsylvania Army National Guard Staff Sgt. Mathew Stern was glad to learn more about the obstacle courses.

“The training camp helped us break in new muscles and flexibilities.”

The third member of the Men’s team, Army National Guard Staff Sgt. Mark Jones was preparing for a 200-mile Iron man competition when he received his orders. Jones is an Infantry squad leader assigned to Company B, 1st Battalion, 111th Infantry Regiment of the Pennsylvania National Guard.

The two US females are competing for the second year.

“I am stronger this time,” said Army National Guard Capt. Leala McCollum, a medevac pilot for the 121st Medical Company (Air Ambulance), a Washington, D.C., National Guard unit.

When asked if she would do better her second year, Airman 1st Class Ziven Drake replied with a very enthusiastic, “Absolutely!” Drake is an F-16 crew chief with the 158th Fighter Wing of the Vermont Air National Guard.

Funding issues since 2006 have hurt the U.S. Team as well as the entire CIOR organization.

“Over the past five years, we have noticed a reduction in the size of the competitive organization. Of the 32 NATO nations that typically have a role in CIOR, only 18 to 20 will actually bring competitive teams, and this year we’re down to 14,” he said.

“We have the usual highlighters in the competition; the French, the Germans, the United Kingdom, the Danish, the Norwegians. For years, the U.S. was right up at the top near them, but as we have scaled down the US participation in CIOR over the last five years, our competitiveness has left a bit to be desired.”

“I’m am the officer in charge, the team leader, the team captain, the head coach, as well as the team coordinator, for the U.S. Military Competitions Team at CIOR for 2012,” Staats said as an example of the scaling down.

Regardless of the cutbacks, Staats constantly emphasizes the reason for CIOR.
“The purpose of CIOR is to strengthen the alliance and build our partnerships with our NATO allies. It’s not just the competition. Our training camp’s main focus is train-the-trainer. Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines and [Coast Guard members] leave the training camp and are able to return to their units with the knowledge to improve their units’ military skills,” he said.

Staats reiterated the purpose of CIOR. “If there is only one thing we accomplish while we are here, it’s the fact that we have solidified and became closer in terms of relationships with those nations that we will become coalition partners with in the future.” He added, “It is exactly those relationships and the strengths of those bonds that help us get through those wars.”