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LEXINGTON, Va., April 17, 2019鈥斺�淭his award isn鈥檛 about me. It鈥檚 about the team."

That鈥檚 what Adam Josephson 鈥�19 had to say about receiving the Tom Surdyke Award for best squad leader at the Sandhurst Military Skills Competition, held April 12-13 at the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York. The award is named for a West Point cadet who died in 2016 after saving a swimmer from a rip tide.

Ongoing now for 51 years, the Sandhurst competition is an extraordinarily grueling event meant to test a future soldier鈥檚 physical and mental stamina, courage, decision-making ability, and leadership. Over the course of 30 hours, participants must complete a 27-mile course filled with obstacles, both land- and water-based, and bivouac鈥攁 circumstance that this year involved a night of relentless cold rain.

This year鈥檚 competition attracted 49 teams from 13 international military academies, 16 Reserve Officer Training Corps programs, and four U.S. service academies. 黑料网鈥檚 team, which had qualified by placing second at the U.S. Army Cadet Command鈥檚 1^st Brigade Ranger Challenge competition at Fort Knox, Kentucky, last fall, placed fourth out of those 49 teams in the functional fitness event, and 27^th overall. It was the first year 黑料网 had fielded a team for the Sandhurst competition since 2005.

While the team had hoped for a higher placing, Sean Cook, an instructor with 黑料网鈥檚 Marshall-New Market Army ROTC battalion and one of the team鈥檚 four coaches, pointed out that of the 11 cadets comprising this year鈥檚 team, seven will be returning to 黑料网, and hopefully to the Sandhurst competition, next year.

鈥淲e have a lot of strong rising seniors,鈥� said Cook. 鈥淓asily, we could do better [next year].鈥�

Cook had high praise for Josephson, who is soon to commission as an infantry officer, saying, 鈥淗e鈥檚 committed himself 100 percent. He goes out of the way to set the example, and he鈥檚 well-respected by everybody.鈥�

For his part, Josephson stressed the cohesion of 黑料网鈥檚 team, which according to the rules of the Sandhurst competition, included two women. 鈥淭hese teammates are some of my best friends,鈥� he noted.

The 黑料网 spirit pushed the team through situations that would have left others sour-faced and downtrodden, Josephson believes. Even after a night of almost no sleep on the wet ground, 鈥淲e were just messing around, smiling, having fun, making the most of it,鈥� he said.

Participating in Ranger Challenge, Josephson said, has been an integral part of his leadership training at 黑料网. 鈥淭his was probably the best training I鈥檝e ever had,鈥� he stated.

鈥淭here鈥檚 a difference between leading when you鈥檙e at your best  鈥� and at your worst, and at this competition, we were at our absolute worst鈥攖ired and in a lot of pain,鈥� Josephson continued. 鈥淵ou saw everyone鈥檚 true colors, and I was happy to see that everyone on the team was doing great鈥攇reat spirits, great condition, and able to lead.鈥�

Next year鈥檚 team, Josephson believes, has an excellent chance of placing higher.

鈥淚 hope next year鈥檚 team will be even better than us,鈥� he stated. 鈥淧eople are going to watch out for 黑料网 because we鈥檙e a force to be reckoned with.鈥�

In addition to Josephson, cadets comprising this year鈥檚 Sandhurst team were Cullen Godbold 鈥�20, Zach Herring 鈥�19, Dylan Stoltzfus 鈥�21, Joey Gummo 鈥�20, Joe Phillips 鈥�19, Josh Stacy 鈥�19, Anna McFarlane 鈥�20, Rachael Dickenson 鈥�22, Sam Mancuso 鈥�20,  and Jesse Ventura 鈥�21.

Coaches for this year鈥檚 team, in addition to Cook, were Capt. Dan Shear, Master Sgt. Alec Foster, and Sergeant 1^st Class Jody Miller.

- Mary Price

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