Women take home gold from NATO competition

In NATO competition at Weiner Neustadt, Austria, it was a good week for the U.S. team and a great week for the women's team.

The U.S. Military Pentathlon Women's Team--CAPT Robin Graf, USNR, and Capts Maiye Kraus and Cilia Peterek, USAFR--won first place at the NATO Military Skills Competition.

"We had trained hard for the past year," said Captain Graf, from Yorktown, Va. "We competed hard for three days and had given our best."

This year, there were 168 competitors, making up 56 teams from 17 countries. Great Britain brought seven full teams, plus competitors for three international teams. The United States fielded three men's teams, one women's team, and alternates fur three international teams. Austria, Switzerland, Latvia and Finland each had one team.

"Competing in critical military skills at the international level not only allows soldiers to learn about our allies, it requires them to elevate their skills well beyond the advanced level," said LTC Bob Thompson, USAR, coach for the 2004 U.S. team.

The NATO Military Pentathlon consists of five events: rifle and pistol marksmanship, land and water obstacle courses, and a 10 to 15-km orienteering course. The women's team won first place in four of the five events and the overall competition.

This year's rugged orienteering course included challenges along the way, such as rappelling down a 100-foot cliff, canoeing across a 300-yard lake and throwing hand grenades. The course ended in a remote park designed to resemble an Old West town.

For Captain Kraus of Bremerton, Wash., it was her second gold medal. She and her 2002 teammates won at the NATO competition in France.

The men's veteran team placed third in their category. LCDR Grant Staats, USNR, of Rensselaer, N.Y.; Maj Jim Tanner, USAFR, of Mountain Home, Idaho; and CPT Scott Christie, USAR, of Flagstaff, Ariz., have a combined 23 years of pentathlon competition.

Each country is allowed to bring alternates to the competition as replacements in case of injuries. The alternates are placed on three-person international teams. Capt Brian Chandler, USAFR, and his British and German teammates finished in first place in the international category.

Maj Joe Gallagher, USMCR, of Laguna Beach, Calif., took first place in the rifle competition against 167 other shooters. Tanner, with the men's veteran team, was in third place. Gallagher's international team, with teammates from Italy and Denmark, finished third in the international category.

In addition to the Pentathlon, teams also participated in competition involving combat first-aid and NATO Laws of War. The men's veteran team with Staats, Tanner and Christie finished second overall in the first-aid competition; the women's team with Graf, Kraus and Peterek finished third overall. Each country's team Combat First Aid scores were averaged, and the United States took first place for that also.

Although it's an added benefit, getting to compete internationally is not the main purpose of the CIOR program.

"Our three-week predeployment training camp back at Ft. Sam Houston is tough, with the objective of not only doing well in the competition, but to send back to the units resident experts in marksmanship, land navigation, physical fitness, combat first aid and the Laws of War," said Thompson. "This is relevant training amid the global war on terrorism, and it makes for a better prepared soldier?'

Most of the competitors agreed with Thompson, and believe they have learned from this experience.

"This is a great program. CIOR has taught me a lot of valuable skills," said Peterek. "I think it'll make me a better officer, and a better person."

Master Sergeant Johnson served as the public affairs officer for the U.S. Military Pentathlon Team.

COPYRIGHT 2004 Reserve Officers Association of the United States
COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group