BOISE, Idaho -- The sun was high, and the ground was hot. All was silent, except for the low chatter of the crowd as they waited. Then the ground began to rumble. The roar of the engine and the sound of gears and tracks grinding its way through the earth gave the signal the competition was about to begin.
People gathered in the hot, dry outskirt of the desert of Boise, Idaho, to watch the Marine Corps’ top three selected M1A1 Abrams tank crews compete in the 9th annual Tiger Platoon Tank Competition, August 6.
Tiger Comp is a competition in which selected Marines compete for the title of the best tank crew in the Marine Corps.
The competition consists of tanks firing six varied simulated combat engagements increasing with difficulty. The engagements consisted of firing attached machine guns and the main gun from a concealed battle position.
These positions are called defilades, from which point the Marines would pull up out of the position on top of the concealing bunker, fire at its target and immediately reverse back to its concealed place, resembling the strike of the trap-door spider. Engagements also included a section of engaging small and large targets while unconcealed and on the move.
The crews’ scores were tallied based on accuracy first and then speed. The crew with the overall highest score won and became the new champion.
Tiger Comp was started in 1996 as a competition between, at that time, the four tank battalions for the title of the “hotshot crew.”
The 3rd tank battalion has since been disbanded.
The competition went seven years uninterrupted, and then it stopped in 2004 due to operational commitments during Operation Iraqi Freedom. It was reinstituted in 2010 with plans to keep it going strong.
Just being selected for Tiger Comp is a challenge in itself since there are 163 tank crews in the Marine Corps, all of which are equipped with the same basic capabilities and training.
“There’s a two-fold objective,” said Lt. Col. John Polidoro Inspector-instructor, 4th Tank Battalion, describing the goals of Tiger Comp. “The first being a morale builder. The second is, it’s an opportunity to get the senior enlisted and senior leadership in the armor community together to discuss relevant issues,” he said.
One of the Marine Corps mottos and a common mindset during the competition was “improvise, adapt and overcome.” The crew of Co A, 4th Tank Battalion understands this all too well.
The crew was recently assembled in February. During the time between then and now, two of the original members had to be hastily replaced.
“This crew began as a ‘rag tag’ crew,” said Sgt. Chad Wilson, tank commander, Co. E, 4th Tank Battalion. “A first-time tank commander, first-time gunner, a first-time loader and first-time driver.”
The inexperience along with dealing with new faces put them at a disadvantage, but they stuck with it.
“We didn’t think we would even qualify; that surprised us. Then we got company high and that surprised us even more,” he said.
“A few months later we found out that we got battalion high, and that’s when we heard we were going to Tiger Comp…the highest shooters in all the reserve battalion. Wow, we’re pretty proud of that,” said Wilson.
Throughout the Marine Corps there is a fraternal rivalry between the Reserve and active duty side; however, for 4th Tank Battalion, competing against the “active-duty guys” was the last thing on their minds.
“It was all fun and exciting, and just an honor to be here,” said Lance Cpl. James Portalli.
At the close of the competition, the final rounds were fired, the scores were tallied up and the awards were presented with 2nd Tanks taking home the trophy. Wilson and his crew placed third in the competition.
“This is a win-win for us, because we‘re Reservists. We don’t do this all the time. This is their [active-duty tankers] job,” said Wilson. “We all have different jobs; so just being here, going up against those guys and showing them what we can do…that’s awesome…that’s a win,” said Wilson.