Marines of Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron buzzed with anticipation after Lt. Col. Tray J. Ardese, H&HS commanding officer, announced July 1 he was planning a competition open to career Marines willing to push themselves to their limits.
What set the Marines afire with excitement was they would be competing for one of three available seats aboard a C-12 destined to tour several islands where legendary Marine Corps battles were fought during the World War II Pacific conflicts.
Ardese planned a three-day competition which tested the Marines’ physical and mental abilities through obstacle courses and knowledge tests.
Sgt. Enrique Watson, a Provost Marshal’s Office watch commander, proved his worth and won the first seat on day one of the competition.
Sgt. Clinton Massengale, a logistics air transportation division air freight loader, competed and claimed the second seat as his own on the second day of the competition.
Four H&HS career Marines faced off for the last available seat on the final day of the competition held at the Northside Football Field here July 15.
The competition, imitating the past two, drove Marines to their limits.
“It was challenging,” said Sgt. Carrie White, a PMO physical security crime prevention specialist. “The biggest word is challenging. When I woke up at 4:15 to come out here, I really didn‘t want to, but I challenged myself. That’s it.”
The competition brought four Marines, clad in boots and utilities, out with the rising sun a little after 5 a.m. Marines started the competition by running the Northside obstacle course four times, tiring more and more as they struggled over the wall and climbed the rope.
The Marines, drenched in sweat as the cool morning turned humid, maneuvered through the course as best they could, fighting against pain and fatigue.
Running the obstacle course four times in a row was hands down the most challenging part of the competition, White said. Other Marines agreed with White as they fought through exhaustion, making their way to the end of the course.
“The hardest part had to be the fourth and final time over the ‘O’ course,” said Sgt. Adam Kruse, a section 6 outside plant chief.
Kruse said his thought before running the course his fourth time was, “Just one more time. After the third time, just one more time.”
After the obstacle course, the Marines had to run four laps around the track, after which they raced to a clearing to disassemble and reassemble three small arms as fast as they could.
The Marines were then given a Marine Corps knowledge test to close out the competition. Once the points were added up, Kruse was declared the winner of the event and was slated to take the final open seat aboard the C-12.
“It’s the opportunity of a lifetime,” said Kruse. “I’ll never get the opportunity again, and I really appreciate Lt. Col. Ardese giving the Marines this opportunity no matter what rank or grade.”
Other Marines who didn’t win the competition also expressed what the significance of winning the trip was.
“It would have been pretty cool to walk in some of the footsteps of the Marines before us,” said 1st Lt. Jay Woods, PMO operation’s officer.
Though unable to take hold of the prize, Woods was still able to find satisfaction from the event.
“Being out there, doing it with the other Marines; it’s a competition, yeah, but everyone is out there. A bunch of Marines and camaraderie all at the same time,” said Woods. “That’s ‘moto’.”
Career Marines competed for three days, fighting their limits and competing against each other for a prize coveted by many.
After putting forth their arduous efforts, Watson, Massengale and Kruse were declared the victors and are now left waiting until Aug. 5, when they will be able to walk the islands that many Marines the world over have heard about from stories and books.