Soldiers, Airmen compete to make All Guard Endurance Team | Article

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U.S. Army Maj. Samantha Wood, a medical officer with the Joint Forces Headquarters, California National Guard, places her medal around her neck after crossing the finish line of the Spartan DEKA FIT, a fitness competition consisting of 10 events, each preceded by a 500 meter dash in Austin, Texas, January 15, 2022. Wood placed first among National Guard women competing for a spot on the All Guard team.
(Photo credit: Staff Sgt. Kimberly Hill)

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U.S. Army Sgt. Derek Yorek, Arkansas National Guard, pushes a sled during the Spartan DEKA FIT, a fitness competition consisting of 10 events each preceded by a 500 meter dash, in Austin, Texas, January 15, 2022 Yorek finished third with a time of 31 minutes and 59 seconds.
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U.S. Army Maj. Robert Killian, signals officer with the Joint Forces Headquarters, California National Guard, poses with his medal after completing the Spartan DEKA FIT, a fitness competition consisting of 10 events each preceded by a 500-meter dash Austin, Texas, March 15, 2017 January 2022. Killian finished second overall, completing the course in 31 minutes and 28 seconds.
(Photo credit: Staff Sgt. Kimberly Hill)

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AUSTIN, Texas – National Guard Soldiers and Airmen test their endurance and strength during the National Guard All Guard Endurance Team competition in Austin January 15.

The 120 Guard members from 35 states and territories competed for male and female spots on the team.

Members of the California Army National Guard received top honors for both men and women.

Maj. Robert Killian, a Special Forces soldier who has twice won the Army’s Best Ranger competition and the Spartan World Championship Steeplechase, took first place in the men’s category.

Maj. Samantha Wood, an ultramarathoner and physical therapist assigned to California’s Joint Force Headquarters, took first place among women.

The All Guard Endurance Team began as a way to expand the National Guard Marathon Program, which advances the Army and Air National Guard and improves retention through physical fitness, self-discipline, and esprit de corps.

Guard members competed on 10 exercise machines after running 500 meters, the equivalent of a 5-kilometer run, inside the Austin Convention Center hall.

The system is known as DEKAFIT, from the Greek word for 10. Each machine tests endurance and strength in a different way.

“Really what this competition has shown me, regardless of your fitness level… You’re competing against yourself. … They show excellence and go above and beyond,” said Brig. Gen. Michael Oster, the assistant adjutant general at the South Dakota National Guard’s Joint Force Headquarters.

Oster, who was the keynote speaker at the awards ceremony, said the competition “makes you feel good about who you are and makes you feel good about what you’re doing.”

“When you participate, you get camaraderie and teamwork,” he added.

The participants ranged from top athletes to first-time participants.

Most competitors have been training for the new Army Combat Fitness Test, which emphasizes flexibility and strength. This competition offered new challenges with obstacles and more races.

The 10 “zones” of the competition were:

• RAM Alt Reverse lunge

• 500 million line

• 24 inch box jump/step over

• Med Ball Sit Up

• 500 m ski trail

• 100 million farmer’s carry

• 25 kcal air bike

• Dead/Slam Ball Shoulder Over

• 100m tank push/pull

• RAM burpees

The overall intention of the event is to demonstrate a positive attitude toward physical fitness and to promote holistic health and well-being throughout the National Guard, according to Sgt. 1st Class Douglas Stephens, Coordinator of National Guard Military Competitions.

The winners and the top three men and women in the Masters (over 50) will represent the All Guard Team for the next two years.

Typically, the team hosts six events a year to spread the National Guard message and improve recruitment.

“It opens the door to speaking to people in any venue,” Stephens said. “We have so many cool stories in the team. We have a guy who was in a car accident and was told he would never run again, and now he’s running marathons. So he can tell that story at every race and that encourages people to get involved.”

Oster said the competition is all about excellence.

“Everyone I spoke to today wanted to run a better time than they did last time or practice before they came here,” said Oster.

2021 All Guard Endurance Team:

Overall great

Male—MAJ Robert Killian, California

Female—MAJ Samantha Wood, California

Team Award (top three times from each state mixed gender)

1st place California

2nd Place Michigan

3rd place Ohio

Team Members-Male

• SGT Derek Yorek, Arkansas

• 2LT Joshua Collins, Utah

• CPT Paul Fitzpatrick, Michigan

• SGT Bailey Ruff, South Dakota

• SSG James Ross, Wisconsin

• SGT James Potteiger, Virginia

• SSG Jerrod Abel, Ohio

• MSgt Jarred Surprenant, Rhode Island

• 1LT Jesse Mascoe, Kentucky

• Week 2 Andrew Cato, South Carolina

• CPT Valentine Roberts, Hawaii

• CPT Ethan McIntosh, Texas

• CPT Austin Tenelshof, Michigan

• SFC Paul Hoffman, South Dakota

• SSG Anibal Soto, Puerto Rico

• MAJ Nick Whaley, New York

• CPT Joel Engle, South Dakota

• MAJ Andrew Miller, New York

• TSgt Brandon Eckel, Tennessee

• 1LT Justin Lowe, Arkansas

• MAJ Miguel Perez, New Mexico

• SSG Lucas Scott, South Dakota

• 1LT Nicholas Trentanelli, New York

• SGT Matthew Lee, Kentucky

• 2LT Brendan Sawyer, Michigan

• SSG Chris Edwards, Ohio

• SSG Shawn Schomer, Nebraska

• TSgt Brian McKinnon, Rhode Island

• SSG Jonathan Kunstmann, Texas

• CPT Gary Parks, Indiana

• SSG William Collins, Ohio

• SSG Nicholas Haggerty, Texas

• CPT Benjamin Smith, Maryland

• CPT Travis Kirchner, Nebraska

• ILT Andrew Sepulveda, Tennessee

• TSgt Zachary Walker, Rhode Island

• MAJ Daniel Barrow, Washington

• MSG Ramon Abreuperez, Virginia

• CPT Jeffrey Hopkinson, Nevada

• SSG Ian Turner, New York

• 2LT Daniel Wolf, Florida

• SSG Erich Friedlein, Pennsylvania

• SFC Travis Muehlnickel, New York

• COL. Brian Coleman, Oklahoma

Team Members-Female

• SGT Alysha Moser, North Dakota

• SSG Marguerite Zaepfel, Wisconsin

• 2LT Crysta Halgrimson, North Dakota

• CPT Hannah Manson, Oklahoma

• MAJ Amanda Schmid, Nebraska

• SGM Shelley Horner, Texas

• SSG Jessica Bloom, Florida

• CPT Victoria Dibacco, Ohio

• CPT Lauren Meyer, Ohio

• SGT Katherine Roskoff, New York

• SGT Erin Jacobson, Washington

• CPT Alexandra Zacks, Michigan

• SPC Yesenia Ortiz, Puerto Rico

• LTC Tracy Graves, South Dakota

• SGT Erika Munoz, New Mexico

• SSG Yoraidyl Covey, Arizona

Master (50+) – Male

• MSG Daniel Martin, Arkansas

MAY Jeffrey Kragh, Oklahoma

• SFC Kenny Culbertson, South Carolina

Masters (50+) – female

• LTC Deborah Fisher, Pennsylvania

• MAJ Miki Matsuo, New Mexico

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source https://www.bisayanews.com/2022/01/21/soldiers-airmen-compete-to-make-all-guard-endurance-team-article/