“Today, everyone has proven they are all warfighters. It doesn’t matter whether we are Reserve, Guard or active component, every one of these Soldiers who cross the finish line are proven warriors.” — MAj. GEn. n. SAn SAnFord nFord HolMAn, coMMAndInG GEnErAl, GEnErAl, 200TH MIlITAry PolIcE coMMAnd MMAnd nd
the long-a long-aWaited end The last push before the long-awaited end to the pain was the 15-mile endurance march, where Soldiers rucked with full gear, gritting through soreness and injuries, sweat and anxiety. Some teams leaned on each other to get to the finish line while others found the inner strength to sprint the last 100 yards across the open field. Ò Today is a good day for military police around the world,Ó said Holman. Ò These warfighters have demonstrated we are some of the best Soldiers in our Army.Ó As the public address system announced the Army Reserve teams cresting a nearby hill, Holman, Timmer, Lombardo and other senior leadership joined the Warrior-Citizens in their last half mile Ñ encouraging the young Soldiers to keep pushing. Ò ItÕ s a great day,Ó Timmer said, looking out at the cloudless sky. Ò I canÕ t think of a better
ending to a miserable week of weather. These are the true heroes of our Army. Look around, and we see Reserve, Guard and active component Soldiers helping each other.Ó Shortly after crossing the finish line, Soldiers quickly removed their boots and socks, exposing a weekÕs worth of broken blisters. Ò We have to give these Soldiers credit,Ó Holman said. Ò These Reserve teams volunteered to be here. They went up against teams that spent months training for this challenge and the Reserve did very well.Ó Holman said the competition was more than the grueling tasks; it was about camaraderie and making new friends. Ò We are a joint team,Ó he said about todayÕs battlefield. “It is those friendships bonded here this week that will carry over the span of their military careers and beyond. We want our Soldiers leaving here with an understanding that we all rely on each other. It doesnÕt matter what patches we wear on our arms, but the U.S. Army on our left side of our chest.Ó
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military techniques, we both do one thing well Ñ we protect and serve.Ó The dayÕs competition ended with the weapons qualification range for night fire.
warriOr–CiTiZeN
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