Youngstown native is tops in soldier physical endurance

A Youngstown native and U.S. soldier won a recent competition against his peers in Iraq.

Sgt. James Balog placed first in a test of physical endurance, weapons proficiency and military knowledge Sept. 8.

“It was difficult. Every second of it,” Balog said. “It was continuous physically. We went all day long from 3 a.m. until 4 p.m.”

Balog said the competition started early in the morning to avoid the heat which reach upwards of 100 degrees that day.

Balog is serving his third deployment to Iraq as a Black Hawk door gunner assigned to the Enhanced Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Infantry Division. He is currently on leave in Kansas, where he now lives.

He attended Chaney High School in Youngstown and went to Youngstown State University for two years before being called up for active duty.

Read more in Saturday’s Vindicator and Vindy.com