USAG Bavaria showcases peak military fitness during 26th annual powerlifting championship

TOWER BARRACKS, Germany - Contestants from all over Germany showed off their strength at the annual Installation Management Command - Europe Powerlifting Championship Dec. 13, 2025 at Tower Barracks, displaying their strength and dedication.

The first Powerlifting Event was held in 1999 and this event has since become a big part of U.S. Army Garrison Bavaria's culture.

"Events like the powerlifting championship are vital for our overseas communities," said Serge Kearse, chief of sports and fitness operations for the Directorate of Family, Morale, Welfare and Recreation. "They build more than muscle; they build camaraderie, boost morale, and foster a culture of peak fitness that unites our Soldiers, Family members, and DOD civilians.

"This event also showcases our Soldiers physical and mission readiness," Kearse continued. "Powerlifting builds essential physical strength, mental toughness, focus and discipline."

This year's IMCOM-E competition featured 32 athletes - five women and 27 men - from the Ansbach, Baumholder, Grafenwoehr, Hohenfels, Stuttgart, and Vilseck military communities. Each competitor had three attempts to achieve their maximal weight on three core lifts: the squat, the bench press and the deadlift.

One of the competitors was Staff Sgt. Contavious Miles with the 2nd Cavalry Regiment.

"These types of competitions are always great because it's a chance to get everyone together, to bring their teamwork and camaraderie together," Miles said.

Miles, who also serves as the 2CR president for Better Opportunities for Single Soldiers, is an avid competitor of events like the powerlifting championship:

"I compete at anything and everything that the Army has to offer," he said. "Pass or fail, I go after it because I always want to discover the best version of myself. … And you can always inspire someone above you and below you."

Brown, in support of the power of presenting a good example, said the number of competitors had doubled from last year to this.

USAG Bavaria Command Sgt. Maj. James Boersma presented the winners their awards.

"It's great that we have the facilities and we have the ability to pull everybody into USAG Bavaria for this event," said Boersma. "Powerlifting is its own special sport. Most people think these guys are gym rats, and they're not. They're actual scientists. It takes a lot to go into actually working pure strength. And you don't get it by doing five times PT a week, which is the standard for the Army. You have to do something extra, something special to get to where these folks are. And I think we had a guy just pull over 700 pounds. So if that does not show our miliary strength and warfighter readiness, I don't know what does."

First place winner for female powerlifters and overall best female powerlifter of the day was Staff Sgt. Kiara Brown from 16th Sustainment Brigade in Baumholder.

"Events like this are important because it brings us all together, all the communities from Ansbach to Baumholder to Hohenfels," she said. "We never really get to see each other. So, in this setting we all get to compete and see who has been doing the best in their community.

"It showcases us [Soldiers] with how strong we can be," she continued. "Even though we have the busiest tempo, we can still get out there and show our strength to everyone in the community."

Concerning the participation of female powerlifters competing in the future, Brown believed there should be more.

"They definitely should start competing because not only the men are strong, so are the women," Brown said. "And I already have a few people that say they want to train to be able to compete in this next year."

Brown herself lifted 185 kilograms (407 pounds) that day.

Awards were presented to the top three competitors in each men's and women's weight category.

(Female)

67.5 KG

1st place Alexandra Orellana (Vilseck)

90 KG

1st Place Johana Flores (Vilseck)

100 KG

1st place Kiara Brown (Baumholder)

(Male)

60 KG

1st place Julian Benitez (Grafenwoehr)

67.5 KG

1st place Ryan Patten (Hohenfels)

75 KG

1st place James Ramos-Pagan (Grafenwoehr)

2nd place Steven Chao (Ansbach)

3rd place Christopher Walters (Vilseck)

82.5 KG

1st place Joshua Winston (Vilseck)

90 KG

1st place Uriah Armstrong (Vilseck)

2nd Place William Ambrose (Vilseck)

3rd place Mohommad Long (Grafenwoehr)

100 KG

1st place Ryan Royal (Vilseck)

2nd pl ace Mark Robles (Hohenfels)

3rd place Jacob Wise (Ansbach)

110 KG

1st place Justin Wilkerson (Ansbach)

2nd place Raphael Gonzalez (Grafenwoehr)

3rd place Matthew Riddle (Grafenwoehr)

125 KG

1st place Delvert Snyder

2nd place Contavious Miles (Grafenwoehr)

140 KG

1st place John Cassens (Grafenwoehr)

2nd place Markus Battle (Vilseck)

The collective strength of the communities was also honored by recognizing the top three teams:

1st Place - Vilseck

2nd Place - Grafenwoehr

3rd Place - Hohenfels

Lastly the overall best male and female lifter were crowned, celebrating their exceptional dedication and performance:

Female: SSG Kiara Brown 16th SB (Baumholder)

Male: 1LT Uriah Armstrong 2CR (Vilseck)

For more pictures of the event visit: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjCDLC8