JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS, Va. –
Fifteen U.S. Air Force Airmen from different bases
participated in the Alpha Warrior Northeast Regional Competition at Joint Base
Langley-Eustis, Oct. 13, 2018.
JBLE’s U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Earl White, 1st Maintenance
Squadron aircraft fuel systems maintenance craftsman, and 1st Lt. Nicole
Mitchell, 83rd Network Operations Squadron directory crew commander,
placed 1st in both the male and female categories.
“Since
last year after doing Alpha Warrior for the first time, I wanted to continue to
challenge myself to compete and train in this type of fitness and obstacles,”
Mitchell said. “Trying to defend my title was not the reason for competing this
year, but definitely humbled that I was able to.”
This
year, the Battle Rig was configured for the Osprey Tab Test, consisting of
burpees, ring board (no rings), cliff hanger board, medicine ball tricep
push-ups, landmine squats, knee-ups, broken bars, total body resistance low
rows, battle rope double waves, slam ball squat throws, devil steps,
accelerator runs, core hammer power slams, a rope climb and a lap around the battle
rig.
“Coming into
this year's competition, I didn’t know it was different from last year, but I
was glad it was because it created another challenge just as it was the first
time,” Mitchell said. “This year was not just the rig, but added components that
really challenge you to push through full-body fatigue versus solely upper
body. The only expectation I set for myself was to complete 100 percent of the
course and if I couldn’t, practice and train until I could.”
Throughout the
competition cheers from friends and family could be heard as each competitor
took on the rig. Even the competitors, though rivals for the fastest time,
cheered each other on, encouraging their fellow wingmen to push past their limits
and complete the challenge.
“It's a great
feeling to win but an even better feeling to compete with passionate and
dedicated athletes that challenge and motivate you to succeed,” Mitchell said.
“The feeling of winning comes secondary to the feeling of completing 100
percent of the course.”
According to
the Shellbank Fitness Center director, Tony Arroyo, the Battle Rig doesn’t just
help Airmen improve physically.
“The Air Force Alpha Warrior Program is designed to
enhance and challenge the four domains of comprehensive Airmen fitness – physical,
mental, spiritual and social,” Arroyo said. “Going through the obstacles and
preparing for them helps our Airmen improve quality of life and increase their
resilience.”