South Korea’s 15th Infantry Division Tank Battalion Names 1st Company as Best Team in Combat Skills Competition

The 15th Infantry Division Tank Battalion of the South Korean Army hosted its specialty skills competition from Monday to Tuesday at its base.

The event featured eight K1 tanks and more than 40 soldiers. The competition was structured with company-level preliminaries on day one, followed by battalion finals on day two. The focus was enhancing individual mission execution and integrated team combat capabilities to identify the best-performing tank team.

The evaluation consisted of six tasks: detaching and reattaching tank tracks, chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) defense, disassembling and reassembling a machine gun, attaching and detaching radios, loading mock ammunition, and closed-hatch driving. One scenario simulated an enemy attack that caused a K1 tank’s tracks to detach. Soldiers showcased high levels of focus and quickly reattached the tracks under realistic combat conditions.

Private Koh Hyun Jae, a member of the 1st Company, which was named the best team, shared his thoughts: “This competition allowed us to strengthen our teamwork while achieving excellent results, which feels like receiving a Christmas gift. It has boosted my confidence in my military service.”

In addition to team evaluations, the battalion reinforced individual competencies through specialized assessments in maintenance, ammunition resupply, and Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC).

Lieutenant Colonel Choi Dong Min, the battalion commander, stated, “This competition demonstrated the crew’s ability to focus on both combat readiness and teamwork. As the division’s only tank battalion, we will continue striving to become a unit that can win any battle, regardless of the circumstances.”