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Staff Sgt. Ada MIlby and her Warrior Challenge partner Dan pose for a picture after one of the events.
Staff Sgt. Ada Milby poses for a picture after getting really dirty.
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Story by Spc. Sam Beavers
196th Public Affairs Detachment
Ohio Army National Guard
COLUMBUS, Ohio—Just past the welcoming sign to Camp San Luis Obispo, Calif., a drill sergeant stood waiting for her new trainees. Upon arrival, the trainees were noticeably nervous and approached the Soldier wearing the “round brown” campaign hat with caution.
Nerves were something that this group of trainees, which included a medical student and stuntman, had overcome before. But this situation was different.
This was not the infamous Army basic combat training, but instead an equally intimidating reality show and personal challenge to see who would become the National Guard’s ultimate warrior.
Warrior Challenge, sponsored by the National Guard and modeled after Army basic combat training, was a weeklong competition where six civilians paired up with six National Guard Soldiers and competed in events such as an obstacle course, search-and-rescue, a 9mm-pistol firing range, a sniper rappell and a high-ropes course.
At the end of the day, the worst performing team was removed and at the end of the week Ohio National Guard’s own Staff Sgt. Ada Milby and her civilian counterpart, Dan of Oak Park, Calif., won the competition and were named the National Guard’s Ultimate Warriors.
“It was a blast,” Milby said of the competition. Milby, who is a member of Joint Forces Headquarters-Ohio, said she has done a lot of things her National Guard career and this was one of the highlights.
For one week in October 2008 these few civilians were thrown into an Army basic training situation where actual Army drill sergeants “smoked” the civilian competitors with push-ups and sit-ups and even went as far as flipping bunks that weren’t made properly.
Milby said her job and the other Soldiers’ jobs were to mentor the civilians and to help them succeed in these timed warrior tasks.
“The hardest part is going from a doer to mentor,” Milby said.
For example, Milby had to explain to Dan how to disassemble and reassemble an M-4 rifle only using voice commands and not touching the rifle herself at all.
Some of the other things Milby advised her partner on included everything from making sure the corners on the bed were tucked in, to which Meals, Ready-to-Eat to avoid, which Milby said was the egg and cheese omelet, of course.
Despite the mentoring role being difficult, Milby understands the concept behind it.
“It’s not about me or him. It’s about being a team, because that’s what being a Soldier in the National Guard is about.
With their first-place victory, the team of Dan and Milby team were awarded a pit-pass with racing icon Dale Earnhardt Jr. at a future NASCAR race.
This inaugural season, which can be found on RipeTv through its website, www.ripetv.com or on the Time Warner and Comcast cable television systems, via on-demand (through May 12). Its success will determine the show’s future.
Milby said she had a lot of fun doing the show and hopes that it is filmed again, for more than just the fun factor though.
“It is important for civilians to see that the National Guard aren’t just weekend warriors; that the National Guard does just as much as the regular Army,” Milby said.
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