1st Battalion, 128th Infantry
Five Wisconsin Army National Guard Soldiers were among the top finishers in an annual one-day military skills competition in Winnipeg, Manitoba, against teams from the Canadian Land Force Western Area and the Minnesota National Guard March 17.
1st Lt. Andrew Adey of Minocqua, Wis.; Sgt. 1st Class Kevin Penttila of Inver Heights, Minn.; Spc. Israel Bursch of Blair, Wis.; Spc. Aaron Cobosco of Eau Claire, Wis.; and Spc. Zachary Pierce of High Bridge, Wis., comprised one of 13 teams in the Skill-At-Arms Competition hosted by the 38th Canadian Brigade Group. The physically demanding day began at 5:30 a.m. with teams having no idea which events they would compete in - only that the events would take place during a road march.
Half an hour into the events, contestants arrived at an equipment cache; they could use whatever they found throughout the day, but they would have to carry that equipment all day as well. The Wisconsin team selected a set of binoculars and military nylon parachute cord.
Teams ran from one event station to the next, carrying their equipment and a 40-pound sandbag. Stations included first aid, basic map reading, distance estimation, marksmanship, assembling weapons from assorted components in a tote, and assembling a field stove to boil water.
"It is a unique opportunity to train and compete internationally as a team," Adey said. "The Soldier skills were basically the same for both of our countries, so it provided a great opportunity to compete in the fundamental skills while building relationships with Canadian forces."
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