Warrior Airman? Prove it!

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Luke Milano
  • 100th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
RAF MILDENHALL, England --  I could feel the cold steel bar on my hands as I gripped it with a layer of liquid chalk quickly drying onto my hands to improve my grip. My heart rate began to drastically escalate as I heard people cheering and the judge called out “3…2…1…GO!”

On Oct. 20, 2018, I participated in the Alpha Warrior Challenge, one of the regional competitions that was held at RAF Lakenheath, England.

Alpha Warrior provides training and obstacle fitness for civilians and military around the world.

The Alpha Warrior Challenge is an Air Force-wide event for Airmen to prove they have what it takes to be an Alpha Warrior by completing a series of exercises woven into an obstacle course.

The top 50 competitors throughout the 15 regions get the opportunity to compete at the finals in San Antonio.

I’m not a huge fan of Tex-Mex food, but my competitive drive got the better of me, so I was chalked-up and ready to go early Saturday morning.

The problem is, when I think of a Warrior Airman my mind tends to go toward the image of a six-foot tall, 200-pound pararescue jumper or combat controller—definitely not a five-foot eight-inch, 160-pound photojournalist.

Never the less, I was determined to get my shot at the title, or at least prove I could complete this cynical-idea of an obstacle course.

The Alpha Warrior program is meant to be more than just a physical challenge, it challenges all four pillars of comprehensive Airmen Fitness, especially your mental fitness.

When I arrived to the fitness center I saw my supervisor's husband, who also happens to be a personal trainer. He walked me through the course and gave me some tips, and I soon realized qualifying for the finals might be a little farfetched for me.

Although, the chance to make it to the finals might have been out of my reach, there was another achievement dangling in my field of view called the Alpha Warrior Osprey Tab. For men, that means completing the gruesome course in under 4 minutes.

When I heard my name called to go first for the men’s category, I decided I was going to lay it all out on the field, or in this case, the gym.

The course started with 70-pound landmine squats and continued onto a traverse on the ring board and cliff hanger.

On the second obstacle, I faltered and fell. Luckily, it was the only part of the course that competitors were able to drop and keep going.

The rest of the course included 14 obstacles, including 50-pound slam ball squat throws, core hammer power slams and a rope climb, towards the end with little to no grip strength left.

After three-and-half minutes of pushing my body to the limit, I came away with my head held high, and getting my name on the Alpha Warrior Osprey Tab.

The experience was humbling, to watch Airmen range from not completing the course to one Airman finishing a minute faster than me.

I challenge every Airmen to put their skills to the test and attempt the Alpha Warrior Osprey Challenge. You might learn and be surprised at the strength you have as a Warrior Airman.