From October 18-20, 2024, 106 soldiers from the Texas State Guard’s 6th Brigade gathered at the DPS Tactical Training Center in Florence, Texas, for their annual training exercise, Operation Heavy METL. This comprehensive exercise included participation in the Warrior Cup Challenge, an event designed to push soldiers to their limits while honing their mission-critical skills. Soldiers from the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Battalions competed in various field training scenarios, aimed at testing and refining their Mission Essential Tasks. The standout performance came from the 3rd Battalion, who emerged victorious in the 2024 Warrior Cup Challenge.
The Warrior Cup Challenge is a grueling three-day competition that fosters teamwork, unit cohesion, and camaraderie among the soldiers. It incorporates Mission Essential Tasks into a series of high-intensity field scenarios, testing both the physical and mental endurance of the participants. Inspired by the Gonzales Cup, named after the historic Battle of Gonzales in 1835, the challenge aims to build esprit de corps and simulate the type of bonding seen in combat scenarios.
This year’s competition featured several challenging events, starting with a Search and Rescue (SAR) exercise that lasted over three hours. The exercise began with an hour of instruction, followed by two rounds in which three teams were sent into the field. Each team was assigned a 5-acre search area and given 30 minutes to locate a lost hike and then find six designated items, such as a Copenhagen can, glasses, and a jacket. The combined search areas spanned 15 acres in total. The nighttime land navigation ruck march took about three hours, beginning at 2100 hours and concluding around 0030. Soldiers navigated through five checkpoints, covering an average distance of 5.12 miles. Unlike previous years, participants were required to carry packs weighing 35 pounds, regardless of their body weight. These intense challenges tested the soldiers’ endurance and readiness, pushing them to their physical and mental limits.
Congratulations to the soldiers who took part and especially to the 3rd Battalion for their impressive victory in this year’s Warrior Cup Challenge!
Florence, TX – DPS Tactical Training Center, October 18-20, 2024
106 service members from the Texas State Guard 6th Brigade participated in Operation Heavy METL and the Warrior Cup Challenge. This event is designed to test and provide competitive training exercises for soldiers from the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Battalions, incorporating Mission Essential Tasks into a series of field training scenarios.
Congratulations to the 2024 Warrior Cup Challenge winners: 3rd Battalion!
(Photos by Sgt. Jason Hunter 6th Brigade PAO)
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Source: Texas State Guard
*Updated specific challenges per information received by Texas State Guard personnel
