Photo By Sgt. Odaliska Almonte | The Adjutant General of North Carolina, Maj. Gen. Greg Lusk (far right) and the Senior...... read more read more
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Butner, N.C. - Nine Soldiers from across the state represented their Major Subordinate Command and competed to be named Best Warrior in the North Carolina National Guard's Best Warrior Competition at the Camp Butner National Guard Training Center, March 2-5, 2018.
Soldiers compete in the hopes to be named the ‘Best Warriors’ of the North Carolina National Guard and the opportunity to represent our state in the Region III Competition in April 2018.
Through the years the competition has progressed to put the service members through physical and mental stressor that are meant to bring out the best in our Soldiers.
“I love how the competition has evolved to include physical skills like fitness tests, Army Warrior Tasks (AWT), stress shoots, urban operations, and ruck march,” said Command Sgt. Maj. John H. Swart, Command Senior Enlisted Leader. “As a participant many years ago, the competition consisted mainly on an administrative board where they looked at your physical fitness card and your weapons score card.” said Swart.
Every year of the competition continues to improve to not only bring the best in the Soldiers, but to train them in the skills and tasks they’re not as familiar with on their regular drill days.
“Not all Soldiers are versed on the weapons, some of them are more ‘behind the scenes’ on doing the support tasks. Having them out here getting their Soldiers skills helps get them to the next level.” said Sgt. Maj. Elsa Gaver, G1 Personnel Non-Commissioned Officer in Charge.
Even participants who thought they were already giving their best find themselves surprised to find that they had even more to offer, like Sgt. Adrian Dumas, representing the 139th Regiment-Regional Training Institute.
“I was really surprised when I got to the physical fitness test and I performed better than I ever had in my life and at a later age,” said Sgt. Dumas, 139th Regiment competitor. “I wasn’t this competitive in my 20s and 30s, so I feel like this competition has pushed me to another level.” said Dumas.
The four day competition consisted of tests of physical and mental endurance that include physical fitness, army warrior tasks and drills, land navigation, road march, weapons qualification, a stress shoot course, urban operations, and the Non-Commissioned Officer/Soldier review board.
At the end of day four the Soldiers found out who would move on to represent the N.C. National Guard in the Region III Competition on April 2018.
The competitors moving on to represent the N.C. Guard are Sgt. Travis Millard and Spc. Steven McMahon, both Soldiers of the 1-252nd Armor Regiment, 30th Armored Brigade Combat Team.
Both, Sgt. Millard and Spc. McMahon, have moved up together from the Battalion and Brigade Best Warrior Competitions.
“It’s been good to have Sgt. Millard by my side. He has been a great mentor as we’ve been going through the different competitions,” said Spc. Steven McMahon. “It’s been a lot of fun to get through each competition together and move up together, it’s the best part of it.” Said McMahon.
Ultimately all Soldiers leave the competition having learned something new they can take back and share with their fellow Soldiers in their units.
“It doesn’t matter if they come in first or they come in last, each and everyone of this Soldiers is learning something and getting something out of this.” said Gaver.
| Date Taken: | 03.05.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 03.09.2018 14:35 |
| Story ID: | 268779 |
| Location: | BUTNER, NORTH CAROLINA, US |
| Web Views: | 201 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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