I liked the land navigation challenge as it strengthened my confidence to find a specific spot with maps, coordinates, protractor, and compass. McVean found the Gonzales Cup challenge to be a “unique opportunity to demonstrate and sharpen my mission essential skills. Teams had to locate 20 sites using maps, protractors, and compasses. The afternoon mission was a land navigation challenge course back at Hunewell Ranch. This challenge required each team to work together and make decisions on how to complete a series of rope course challenges. Teams then moved to the Leadership Challenge Course at Tarleton State University. This challenge supports the Texas State Guard Health and Fitness program which emphasizes exercise, strength and a healthy lifestyle. The second day opened with the Army Physical Fitness test of sit-ups, pushups, and a two-mile run. “The search and rescue challenge was an awesome experience.” “I never pictured myself doing things like slogging through mud and water on a six-kilometer hike with a 35-pound knapsack on my back,” said Peck who has been in the Texas State Guard 10 months. Laura Peck, 8th Regiment, was one of three female state guardsmen to participate in the competition. Each team was scored on how proficient they were at finding the person, evaluating the condition of the person, providing first aid, fashioning a litter, and evacuating the person back to the starting point. Teams had to follow clues to find the missing persons within a time limit of three and a half hours. The darkness, bad weather, mud, and rain-soaked terrain added to the realism of what state guardsmen might face during search and rescue missions. That evening in the midst of a torrential rainstorm, four teams went out on a search and rescue task to find missing persons who were lost following a simulated disaster at Hunewell Ranch in Erath County, Texas. The first day's challenge was a written test which covered the Texas State Guard Army Component mission essential skills which included shelter management operations, emergency tracking network operations, military customs and history, and ground search and rescue. Barton Williams, senior enlisted advisor, Army Component, who organized this year's competition. It builds comradery and teamwork, challenges perseverance in the most adverse conditions, tests skills that we need to be mission ready, and creates a spirit to achieve to be the best," commented Command Sgt. "The Gonzales Cup competition is important as a meaningful and purposeful training for our members. Twenty-nine members representing the 1st, 4th, 8th, and 19th Regiments of the Texas State Guard accepted the challenge to become the Army Component's best of the best and take home the coveted Gonzales Cup. Brandon McVean won the Top Individual Award following the three-day competition held Oct. STEPHENVILLE, Texas - The Texas State Guard Army Component’s 1st Regiment won the Gonzales Cup and the 19th Regiment’s Pfc. (Texas State Guard photo by Chief Warrant Officer 3 Janet Schmelzer) Robert Hastings, Commander, Army Component, presented the Gonzales Cup to the team. Story by Chief Warrant Officer 3 Janet Schmelzer, Army Component, Texas State Guard The 1st Regiment Army Component Texas State Guard team won the Gonzales Cup during the competition held in Stephenville, Texas, October 12-14, 2018. Texas State Guard Gonzales Cup Challenges the Best of the Best of the Army Component
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