An Cosantóir

An Cosantóir May / June 2026 www.military.ie/magazine 8 | As soon as the team was selected, and with help from other unit staff, the training began. An intense fully packed seven-week programme was designed to cover all the elements which they would be tested in the competition. Hats off to last years' team (7 Inf Bn), who gave excellent advice from their experience which really helped the team in preparing for this competition. Training included physical fitness training, map reading and navigation by day and night. The soldiers gained extremely valuable training on the weapons being used with the elite Army Ranger Wing (ARW), enhancing their skills and confidence with a range of weapons. They also completed a battlefield first aid training with the Medical School. They spent time with the Artillery School on learning to 'call for fire'. Unit staff carried out revision on Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN). All this training not only prepared them and improved their tactical abilities, but it developed a really strong team rapport and their confidence. The team arrived in Camp Edwards, the MANG main training facility, an expansive area of over 25,000 acres. There wasn't much time to explore, and it was straight to meeting staff and getting a very rapid familiarisation tour of the Camp before the team got a crash course on how the MANG 'call for fire' for that event. They met soldiers from across the U.S. and their mutual respect, camaraderie and talk of competitiveness was evident, giving a very positive atmosphere from the onset. The team spent their evening preparing kit, receiving briefs and getting to know their U.S. counterparts with many of them eager to share and tell of their Irish heritage and family connections. It felt like home away from home! D-Day arrived and the competition began at 0500hrs with the new and first time to be tested 'U.S. Army Elite Physical Fitness Assessment' (EPFA). This test set the tone for the day ahead with a one-mile run; Dead stop push-ups; 100 metre sprint; Sandbag lift; 50 metre water carry; 50 metre movement lane finishing off with one mile run, all with your body armour and in a time of 30 minutes. Sgt Kelly had the best time in this event finishing in just over 19 minutes. Moving swiftly along to the next event, soldiers competed on the ranges in two separate shooting events. The qualification shoot required precision under pressure while the other event, the stress shoot, had soldiers pushing their limits under pressure by initially doing burpees (1 min), then dragging a casualty (160lbs) to different shooting positions and engaging targets with both M4 rifles and M17 pistols, with loud simulators constantly sounding until soldiers crossed the finish line. From the stress shoot, competitors had to complete a map test and then prepare for the last event of the day, which was a five-hour land navigation test that commenced in daylight and ended well after sunset. Unfamiliar territory, tough terrain and through forestry with limited visibility, soldiers were pushed to their limits. By the time competitors got back to their quarters, they had been on the go for almost 18 hours. Day 2 began at 0500hrs with 'Warrior Lanes', these focused on testing the soldiers core skills in four challenging events. Events were Medical, 'Call-for-Fire', Mystery event (I won't spoil the surprise for 2027) and Grenade throwing. Each event had its challenges both mental and physical, and it was evident how competitive each competitor was, which added to the competition. Similar to our own training and demonstrating adaptability among other traits, soldiers moved quickly from the Warrior Lanes in tactical gear to transition into their best uniform taking a breather to get some lunch. In the afternoon, competitors wearing their Service Dress (SD No. 1) for the formal part of the competition, had to complete a written multiple-choice exam on U.S. Military knowledge followed by a formal oral board. Senior NCOs conducted an inspection in their No. 1s and interviewed each competitor, putting them under pressure and reviewing their appearance

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