Army’s ‘Pershing Cup’ competition held in Forsyth Park

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - The three-day Pershing cup competition is underway in the Hostess City, as soldiers from across the country and even across the world are competing to see who’s the best observer controller trainer in the country.

“Observer-Controller Trainer is a collective trainer that observes and provides feedback to leadership to make units more ready.” explained Command Sgt. Major Christopher A. Prosser with the First Army.

Over the next three days, these expert trainers will be paired off, going head-to-head against other teams, all in the hopes of winning the Pershing Cup.

Soldiers say they’re thrilled to be competing in Savannah.

“Just look around real fast. It’s beautiful. We’re grateful that the city let us come and use Forsyth Park,” said Major Nick Keller, Operations Officer with the First Army.

On Tuesday, the competition officially kicked off with a physical fitness test. Soldiers endured intense exercises including rowing, deadlifting, running, and more.

“It’s a full team effort at the end of the day. It’s on the individual to prepare, but also the support of the unit, their battle buddies to the left and right of them, getting them ready,” Keller said.

The fitness test was just day one. Next, they’ll all head into the wilderness for even more endurance tests, on minimal sleep.

By Thursday, each team will be assessed based on their performance, until the winners are clear.

“It’s to recognize those individuals who are experts in their craft, stepping up and, you know, going above and beyond what’s normally expected of us,” Prosser said.

While this competition helps build morale and team pride, it’s also about getting our army ready for anything that may be thrown at them.