Spartans vie for best rigger laurels

by Sgt. Brian Ragin
4/25th IBCT Public Affairs

11/21/2014 - JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska -- Parachute riggers from the 725th Brigade Support Battalion (Airborne), 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, competed in the Best Rigger Competition at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson Nov. 12 to 14.

The winners will represent U.S. Army Alaska in the upcoming Rigger Rodeo at Fort Bragg, N.C., scheduled in late spring 2015.

The best rigger competition tests riggers on their day-to-day job skills as well as some skills they don't routinely use, such as rigging particular seldom-used types of container delivery systems.

"It's actually humbling, because a lot of this stuff you learn in school and you don't touch again for long periods of time," said Sgt. James Bonnington, a competitor at the event. "This CDS, we used to be able to do this with our eyes closed. This time, thank God, I had that manual."

The competition consisted of four main areas: packing personnel parachutes, cargo parachutes and equipment, aerial delivery maintenance and a 50-question written exam.

Competitors packed T-11 main and reserve personnel parachutes, G-12D cargo parachutes and rigged a CDS. They also spliced suspension lines for G-11 and G-12 parachutes.

"It's really nice," said Spc. Katelyn Garrett, a Wilson, S.C., native. "As riggers, we like to joke a lot, so this is just another competition for us. Like on a normal day, not even just because of the competition, we race each other on the pack lanes. It's just a fun environment. We're all family, so it's like competing with family. We can joke about mistakes we make, laugh and get serious, and go back and correct them."

Each event was a team effort, except the written exam and Army Physical Fitness Test.

"We're going to have a PT Test, which consists of three different sections, to see how physically fit they are," said Chief Warrant Officer 4 Melvin Vega Velez, the officer in charge of the event. "We have a lot of our Soldiers that can achieve more than the standard, so we will use the extended scale to grade."

The competition ended Nov. 14 with the competition winners recognized by USARAK's commanding general, Army Maj. Gen. Michael Shields, as he presented coins of excellence at a brigade formation.

The competition winners were also awarded the Army Achievement Medal presented by 725th BSB battalion commander, Army Lt. Col. Peter Crandall.

Velez said that by completing the competition, the Spartan riggers demonstrated their capabilities and readiness by being prepared to accurately execute each rigger task.