Photo By 2nd Lt. Rebecca Linder | South Dakota Army National Guard soldiers Spc. Dalton DeBoer, left, of Clear Lake,...... read more read more
RAPID CITY, S.D. – The South Dakota Army National Guard is pleased to announce Spc. Dalton DeBoer, of Clear Lake, as its Soldier of the Year and Staff Sgt. Sam Schaefers, of Watertown, as its Noncommissioned Officer of the Year for 2013. Both soldiers are members of Watertown’s Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 1-147th Field Artillery Battalion.
The NCO and Soldier of the Year titles are the top honors that can be bestowed upon enlisted personnel in the state’s Army National Guard.
DeBoer and Schaefers were the top winners for the state’s Army Guard Best Warrior Competition held in September. DeBoer and Schaefers battled against 33 other competitors in an series of events to include a written exam, essay writing, battle drills, M16 rifle marksmanship, land navigation, obstacle course, six-mile road march (carrying a 40-pound pack) and a physical fitness test.
“The events embodied the whole soldier concept,” said State Command Sgt. Maj. Susan Shoe, senior NCO for the SDARNG. “They all had to know weapons, warrior tasks, board knowledge and the warrior ethos.”
The next challenge ahead for DeBoer and Schaefers will be representing South Dakota in the Region 6 Best Warrior competition to be held May 18-22, 2014. The competition will be hosted by the SDARNG and take place in Rapid City. Competitors from six other states will join DeBoer and Schaefers to compete for the regional title. The winners of that competition will advance to the national Best Warrior Competition.
“It is a testament of their Army values and the warrior ethos that they didn’t quit,” Shoe remarked of Schaefers and DeBoer. “They definitely distinguished themselves as the best of the best.”
Shoe also remarked about the spirit of the competition.
“The soldiers who won the individual events had a determination, a winning spirit inside of them,” said Shoe. “Yet there was a great deal of camaraderie, everyone was helping each other, supporting each other through the competition.”
Soldier of the Year
DeBoer joined the National Guard in April 2011 as a Multiple Launch Rocket System operations and fire direction specialist for the 1-147th Filed Artillery Battalion. He is a full-time student at South Dakota State University, majoring in construction management.
“I was interested in serving in some way and joined my junior year of high school,” said DeBoer. “I enjoy the ROTC program at SDSU and hope to commission through the program and go to active duty after college.”
An interest in learning, as well as dedication to physical fitness helped DeBoer win the Soldier of the Year title.
“I have always been interested in training and learning new things,” said DeBoer. “I have always been interested in working out and training (physically).”
DeBoer also enjoys his free time.
“I enjoy hunting and hanging out with my friends, said DeBoer. “ROTC takes up a lot of my time though.”
As for the competition itself, DeBoer expressed pride in his accomplishment.
“I am proud to be competing in the regional competition,” he said. “It is a big honor to represent the state.”
NCO of the Year
Schaefers became a member of the National Guard in 2000 and serves as the training NCO for the 1-147th Field Artillery Battalion.
Through his later years in school, Schaefers knew he wanted to serve in some way.
“My older sister had joined the Guard; that was what pushed me over the edge,” said Schaefers. “I chose the National Guard over the other services because that is what she did.”
Schaefers, who was selected as the alternate NCO to represent the 1-147th in the competition, reflected on what helped him be successful even though he had no time to train for the competition specifically.
“It is my daily routine that helped me succeed,” he said. “The big thing that helped me is I have a good, general knowledge of (soldier) skills and tasks.”
Schaefers devotes a majority of his off-duty time to his family.
“My kids (Olivia, 9, and Noah, 6) take a lot of my time, and that is awesome,” said Schaefers. “I do a lot of hunting and recreational shooting, but my family definitely comes first.”
Schaefers also commented on the upcoming regional Best Warrior Competition.
“I look forward to doing the best I can no matter how I place,” he said. “I am looking forward to the challenge of a higher level of competition.”
| Date Taken: | 11.05.2013 |
| Date Posted: | 11.13.2013 16:09 |
| Story ID: | 116667 |
| Location: | RAPID CITY, SOUTH DAKOTA, US |
| Hometown: | CLEAR LAKE, SOUTH DAKOTA, US |
| Hometown: | WATERTOWN, SOUTH DAKOTA, US |
| Web Views: | 115 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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