252nd MP Company wins 2nd Annual Harper’s Ferry Competition
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – From August 4-5, military policemen with the 117th Military Police Battalion competed in their 2nd annual Harper’s Ferry Competition at Catoosa’s Volunteer Training Site, in Georgia. Hosted by the 117th battalion staff, headquartered in Athens, military policemen throughout East Tennessee endeavored to see who had the best MP squad.
After two days of grueling competition, the 252nd Military Police Company, headquartered in Cleveland, was declared to have the battalion’s best squad.
“The 252nd has one of the most cohesive teams that I’ve seen in the military in a really long time,” said Sgt. Maj. David Malone, the Harper’s Ferry Coordinator. “Each person on that team was critical to their team’s success. It was the entire six that made it possible for them to win.”
Led by 1st Lt. Lauren Williams, the team from the 252nd worked together to beat the best military policemen with the 253rd and 269th Military Police Companies from Lenoir City and Murfreesboro. Each team has six members and to compete, teams must have at least one officer, noncommissioned officer, and junior enlisted Soldier comprising the team.
“I had very great team that worked well together,” said Williams. “It’s nice to see people in your unit do well and succeed in things that are challenging.”
For the event, the competitors completed a 12-mile ruck march while performing various individual and team tactical tasks. They also navigated an obstacle course, were timed during a MK-19 Grenade Launcher disassembly and assembly, prepared and transferred patients during a medical evacuation exercise, operated in a chemical environment, and numerous other challenging tasks.
The competition was designed to resemble real scenarios a military policemen would encounter in combat. According to Malone, many competitions, like the National Guard’s Best Warrior Competition, are tailored to an individual’s performance. This competition emphasized teamwork and tasks that an MP squad would encounter.
From top left to bottom right, Sgt. Brandon Crowe, Staff Sgt. William Johnson, Spc. Dacota Wood, 1st Lt. Lauren Williams, Spc. Valerie Cheek, and Sgt. Jocelyn Rieches. Military Policemen with the 252nd Military Police Company pose after winning the 2nd Annual Harper’s Ferry Competition held at Catoosa’s Volunteer Training Site, Georgia, from August 4-5. The competition tested the Soldiers skills and identified the best squad in the 117th Military Police Battalion. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. James Bolen Jr.)