Missouri Guard officer candidate continues tradition of leading the way

Officer Candidate Jonathan Swyres, with guidon, leads the pack during the 5-mile road march. At the halfway point, other OC's are just a dot on the horizon.

By 1st Lt. Kathleen Argonza
Public Affairs Officer, 235th Regiment Kansas Army National Guard
Ngmo.pao@US.ARMY.MIL

SALINA, Kan. - For the third straight year, a Missouri National Guardsmen has bested Soldiers from nine states in a 5-mile road march at phase I training of Officer Candidate School.

Officer Candidate Jonathan Swyres, of Ellington, was the first to the finish line, with a time of 59 minutes. He follows on the heels of Brian Randolph, the Missouri officer candidate that came in first place in 2010, and Perry Hoffman, who won in 2009.

On Monday, officer candidates awoke at 4:30 a.m. to the not-so-soothing sounds of their company platoon trainers rousting them from their bunks. The candidates moved with a purpose, hoisted their assault rifles, strapped on their 35-ppound rucksacks and headed out on the march well before the sun had risen. The candidates would complete the road march before 8 a.m., right around the time most people were just leaving to go to work.

Missouri Guard officer candidates excel in the grueling environment designed to simulate the level of stress they might experience leading Soldiers in combat.

Their rough introduction to their new life as future officers began with an opening ceremony on Sunday where 130 candidates, including 18 from Missouri, were put through an exhausting exercise regiment often called a "smoke session."

The candidates were guided through exercises for hours under the hot Kansas sun. With temperatures at 94 degrees and 98 percent humidity, the workout became a grueling test of mental and physical endurance.

Candidates perspired straight through their Army Combat Uniform, while performing push-ups, sit-ups, high-knees, sprints and various other exercises designed to shock them into a high-stress environment. The platoon trainers also got inventive, guiding the candidates through exercises with names like "bear crawls, buddy carries, and mountain climbers."

During an average day of the training, candidates must not only follow orders, but also lead anything from a squad to a company-sized element.

Candidates attend many indoor classes on military procedures and leadership, and during their "breaks," they are "motivated" by their platoon trainers in sessions of rigorous physical exercise.

These Officer Candidates are usually up by 4:30 every morning; spend all day training and being rigorously evaluated on their decision-making process. They might hope to see their pillows at around 10 p.m., but usually they're not in their beds until much later.

Assisting the Candidates on their journey towards the coveted gold bar of an Army second lieutenant, are approximately 100, mostly Kansas-based, staff and cadre. During this time in Salina, the instructors at officer candidate school hope to mold these soldiers into competent, assertive, and confident leaders that are ready to take charge of a platoon-sized element in combat.

On this day, the candidates celebrate moving one step closer to joining the proud fraternity of commissioned officers, leaders of Soldiers, and defenders of the Constitution of the United States of America.

For more information about the Missouri National Guard, please visit www.moguard.com and our social media sites:
www.facebook.com/Missouri.National.Guard; www.twitter.com/Missouri_NG; www.youtube.com/MoNationalGuard; www.myspace.com/missouri_ng; www.flickr.com/photos/missouriguard