SA Army fittest soldier competition

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The eyes of especially those entrusted with the physical fitness of South Africa’s soldiers will be focussed on Kimberley from Monday where more than 300 SA Army members line up for the various categories in the 2017 fitted soldier competition.

While not 100% in the same skills category, those taking part would be well advised to look at the achievements of the SA Reserves military skills team at the recent CIOR (Inter-allied Confederation of Reserve Officers) MILCOMP summer 2017 competition in Prague.

The seven-strong team brought home the best individual shooting trophy thanks to Rfn Mdlalose of 3 Parachute Battalion who finished top of the combined pistol and rifle shoot. Another first for the South African team was in the law on armed conflict (LOAC) as part of military skills. Another team member Cpl Hlope qualified for a certificate of competence for combat casualty care during evaluation of this event as part of the military orienteering speed march.

Lieutenant Purchase of Regiment Mooi Rivier was presented with the MILCOMP trophy, given under special circumstances for “courage and determination against all odds and still completing the competition”.

From Monday (September 4), Kimberley Military Sports club will host 330 soldiers taking part in a number of military related fitness events, including endurance walk and swimming to find out who the fittest man and women soldier in the landward force is.

In addition to these two top fitness awards, awards will also be made in eight different age categories.

Apart from swimming and the endurance walk competitors will have to show their skills and fitness in an agility test, backward and sideways running, the standard SANDF fitness evaluation, a “bleep test” and what is billed as the Army Support Formation surprise.”

The winners will represent the landward force when all four services meet in the SANDF fittest soldier competition in October.