MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII -- Morning Colors sounds and 21 competitors take off from the Combat Service Support Group 3 compound on their way to the range to start the grueling 13-mile-long course of the CSSG-3 Warrior Challenge Biathlon here, April 11.
Five Marines were picked from five of the CSSG-3 companies to compete in this event. The last two warrior challenges held by CSSG-3 were fire team oriented; this year’s competition was an individual effort.
“This is for those Marines who consider themselves the elite,” said Gunnery Sgt. Torain Kelley, training chief, S-3, CSSG-3. “This course is a man-maker that’s for sure.”
The course was designed to focus on the warrior skills the Marines will need to keep pace with those line companies they will be tasked to support. The course covered a range of endurance tests and skills, but primarily focused on marksmanship.
“It all came down to marksmanship,” said Col. Donald Liles, Commanding Officer, CSSG-3. “You can be in the best shape of your life, but if you can’t slow your breathing and pull the trigger to put shots on target your’re not going to last long.”
The course totaled 13 miles of running, 200 meters of swimming, 30 rounds of the rifle and pistol, Marine Corps Martial arts tests and gallons of sweat.
After the Marines reached the range they shot ten rifle rounds for the 36-yard battle sight zero. They then had to run from the range to Kansas Tower hill and back. Once they returned to the range they shot 10 rounds at 15 yards with the pistol.
After shooting they ran to the base pool and swam 200 meters.
With their cammies soaked and bodies worn down the competitors ran back to the range to shoot 10 more rounds from the rifle at 40 yards out. They then ran to Fort Hase Beach to grapple with martial arts instructors and then back to the range one last time to shoot ten 9mm rounds at 20 yards out.
The final stretch was a run from the range back to the CSSG-3 compound to bust out 10 pull-ups.
“It is a pretty difficult event,” said Capt. Andrew Gourgoumis, training officer, CSSG-3. “We had to make it as challenging as
possible to separate a clear winner.”
The whole idea behind the competition was to force the Marines to rely on their marksmanship skills even when their bodies were racked with pain.
“I had my guys at the range watching them very closely at the end,” said Kelley. “I wasn’t sure if they were going to be able to lift their pistol at the end.”
Even if a competitor finished the event first he could have still come in last if he shot poorly.
“The key to victory is the marksmanship,” said Gourgoumis. “For every shot missed they got one minute added to their time.”
With 60 total rounds, 30 each from the pistol and the rifle, they could have a large amount of time added to their total.
The prize for this grueling event, besides personal pride, was the opportunity to fill CSSG-3’s only quota for jump school.
“There’s no better way to decide who to give our one quota to; give it to the one who earned it,” added Gourgoumis.
At the end of the event there were two clear leaders: Sgt. Matthew Kozel, Maintenance Company, and Staff Sgt. Kendrick McRae, Supply Company.
On the run from the range to the finish line the two were in a dead sprint to make it to the pull up bars. Kozel finished with a time of 4:05:00 and McRae finished with a time of 4:05:30, but the shooting scores still had to be added in. The final
competitor finished with a time of 5:14:00.
After cool down and showering up the Marines met back for the award presentation and the announcement of a winner.
With a total weighted time of 4:32:00 Kozel took first place and along with his jump school seat he was awarded a Navy Achievement Medal for his accomplishment.
“It was one of the hardest things I have done in the Marine Corps,” said Kozel. “What made it worth it was the self pride and being able say I finished it, because it was not easy.”
McRae came in second with a total time of 4:40:00, and Sgt. Fidel Balderrama came in third with a time of 4:48:00. All of the competitors were awarded a day of liberty for their hard work and motivation.
The leaders at CSSG-3 hope to hold this event twice a year, one individual and the other a team effort. They said that events like this are not just for competition, but also to better prepare their Marines for the fight.
“I have no doubt you can do your job; you went to school for that,” said Liles. “It’s these warrior skills that can save lives that we need to focus more on.”