Ten New York Army National Guard Soldiers and Airmen will travel to South Africa to participate in the South African Military Skills Competition being held October 21 to 26. The five Soldiers and five Airmen will participate alongside representatives of European and African nations.
Each team consists of four members and a coach. They come from Army and Air Guard units located across the state. Among them is Command Sergeant Major Mark Maynard, the Army National Guard team coach, who is a Spencerport resident and is assigned to the 106th Regional Training Institute at Camp Smith Training Site near Peekskill.
The competition involves rifle and pistol shooting, negotiating land and water obstacles, hand grenade throwing and a 4.8 mile run in military uniform. The Americans will be firing the South African R4 rifle and Z88 pistol instead of the weapons they normally use.
The New York National Guard has had a training and exchange partnership with the South African National Defence Force since 2003. The relationship is part of the National Guard’s State Partnership Program which pairs state National Guards with the military forces of other nations. The program is designed to build useful military relationships.
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