By Joe Castelli
Staff writer
Sunshine muscled through plumes of colored smoke and surrounding trees as one Cadet from each squad in 3rd Platoon swam through the murky water to tie one end of the rope to a post on the opposing bank. The Cadets on the other side pulled it tight, securing it to the opposite post, then raced across.
Cadet Victor McCullough was among the first in his squad to reach the other side, but they wouldn’t be able to claim victory in the friendly stream-crossing competition until each Cadet – and the rope they pulled themselves across – had made it to the other side.
McCullough knows what it takes to be the man still standing at the end of the fight. He brought with him to the Leader’s Training Course the knowledge of an experienced boxer, law enforcement officer, mixed martial arts cage fighter, husband of seven years and father of six children.“He brings a unique perspective to all of the training because of his unique experience,” said 2nd Lt. Spencer Johnson, the squad tactical officer for McCullough’s squad in Co. A 1/46th Inf. “He just has a unique outlook on everything, I mean, he’s older than I am.”As a deputy sheriff, McCullough was stuck in a situation where in order to move up in the ranks, a position would have to open up in the Jasper County, Mo., sheriff’s department. Despite his work as a sheriff’s deputy and instructing at two gyms – one of which he co-founded, and the other he operates on his own – his income still wasn’t adding up to what he needed.
There were three things the Tulsa, Okla., native wanted in a career: a certain amount of pay, traveling opportunities and a chance to fight.
“The Army said yes to all three,” McCullough said. “I love to travel – when they told me I was going to Kentucky, I said, ‘Hooah.’ ”
His love for fighting is a common theme pulsing through every aspect of his career. While home, McCullough works four days a week, 10 hours a day as a sheriff’s deputy, and spends 20 of those hours instructing other officers in self-defense. Having been a student of various fighting styles, he’s qualified to teach basic takedowns and defensive tactics.
The 25-year-old has been dishing out beatings since he began boxing at age 4, and has kept a running tally since day one, currently counting 200 wins and three losses, cumulatively. The Pittsburg State University student said his record in Mixed Martial Arts fighting is 16-1. He’s undefeated in kickboxing at 35-0, and he’s won 149 matches as a boxer, losing only two.
McCullough also said that he’s won several titles in his different fighting disciplines, some of which have been retired, and others he still holds.
| Video by Eric Stemen |
His goal is to be the Armed Forces champion boxer, though he will also be trying out for the wildly popular Ultimate Fighting Championship in August. If he succeeds, he wants to represent the Army fighting in sold-out arenas across the nation while using any combination of fighting styles he’s studied over the years.
His interest in the Army began shortly after Sgt. 1st Class David Brock, a PTO for Co. B at LTC who’s also from Pittsburg State University in Kansas, became certified in level one combatives last summer.“I was in the gym at the YMCA and I saw Victor rolling around doing combatives,” Brock said. He and McCullough began to discuss the possibilities of an Army career. “I’ve just kind of been helping him along, getting him into ROTC,” Brock said.“I think he’s gonna do very well. I think he’s gonna make a great Army officer. He’s got the discipline, the drive already. It takes a big accomplishment to make ranks in martial arts, and it takes a lot of dedication and a lot of drive just to become a champion.”
McCullough has enjoyed LTC in large part because of the other Cadets in 3rd platoon, 2nd squad, which he describes as “efficient.” The group has successfully completed all challenges and scored a better time than the other squads during the stream-crossing competition.
“That’s what I love about the Leader’s Training Course. Everyone has their own strengths” he said. “We have some amazing people out here.”