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I'm Staff Sergeant Chad Gale of the 11th Airborne Division, commander of the best unit. We won the competition. We are a very close-knit unit. We worked very hard. We know our strengths and weaknesses, and this has helped us train and approach each task correctly. at every event and during every training session. We shot a lot, went through obstacle courses, and worked on the descent towers. We worked on technical tasks for the EIB. And we constantly attended H2F: recovery, injury prevention, intensive physical training-we were as focused as possible. We were focused, moved as fast as we could, shot as best we could, supported each other, and got the most out of each of us.
Specialist Ryan Kelly, E4, 11th Airborne Division. I'm always looking for opportunities to do something new besides my main line work. When my first sergeant asked if I wanted to participate in the " Best Unit," I replied: of course, I'm always ready to compete. We have been together for five months. Starting from the divisional level. So we created a very strong bond. And I feel like we can handle any challenge. Of course, there was a lot of physical training, training twice a day, a lot of technical tasks, obstacle courses, a lot of shooting. Perhaps the most difficult thing was to stay at the peak of my abilities all the time. To pull comrades to the required level, to demand responsibility from each other.
Specialist, EBA, William Reese, 3G, Baker Company. I think it's what we do after 9pm that sets us apart from the rest. We train a lot, do conditioning, but that's only a quarter of the success. The most difficult thing for us was the uncertainty about what lay ahead. Some knew what the next steps would be, but we just came and showed the result when it was needed. We compete every day: during physical training, on EIB tasks, and during exams. We are constantly competing with each other, and this brings us back to the topic of our fighting brotherhood. I think our main task is the constant desire to compete. I see him from Monday to Sunday and it's just great. So, I'm Sergeant Trent
Robinson, Charlie Company, 3rd Group, 11th Airborne Division. We push each other a lot every day, but we have the same sense of humor, and I think that's what unites us. And when we compete and it gets really tough, we support each other really well. It doesn't require much effort. I can look at our squad leader, Staff Sergeant Hale, and tell by his gaze whether he's feeling good or struggling. So he and I can inspire each other, and that applies to every fighter on the team. Yes. So we came to the EIB competition very well prepared. We arrived there and saw several teams that we would have to compete against. These were very serious competitors.
However, our preparation and our physical capabilities, I think, helped us cross the finish line in these competitions. It was a truly incredible experience. The training, opportunities, knowledge that you gain and can pass on to your units to make your guys more effective-it's priceless. So 100% just do it. I'm Specialist McWire, 11th Airborne, and I believe we've accomplished all of our mission. We prepared a lot. Of course, in a physical sense. Our instructors at Buckner really pushed us. We are physically ready, and now we are honing our skills
and EIB tasks. I am very motivated. I just don't want this to end. The amount of training I have received in the last 3 months is incomparable to what I have achieved as a soldier before this. It was really a lot of learning. I even developed physically. I definitely did a lot of exercises that I would never have dared to do on my own. So, I am definitely growing as a person and as a soldier. We were outsiders. We were out of state and on a business trip. So competing against people who trained on the same tracks and obstacles as us was not easy. With such an advantage, they had a head start, we felt at a disadvantage, but we gave it our all. That's it. This is a true brotherhood, we are able to work as a single team, even though we were
brought together by chance. So I will miss this company. A victory at the HQDA level would not only highlight the Army's capabilities, but also give these guys some career growth. So this will draw attention to them and show what they are capable of and what they can offer to future units.
