Photo By Sgt. Matthew Marcellus | Sgt. Rudy Madrid, an aircraft structural repairer assigned to D Company, 2nd...... read more read more
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Over one hundred Soldiers put their best foot forward by testing their Army knowledge and physical capabilities in the Combat Aviation Brigade’s Soldier and Noncommissioned Officer of the Quarter competition here, March 16, 2018.
The competition was designed to test the physical prowess and technical knowledge of its participants.
“Today’s event is to take the top ten percent of our people, and to separate the wheat from the chaff through a crucible of both physical fitness and intelligence,” said Command Sgt. Maj. David E. Lee of the 127th Aviation Support Brigade, representing the CAB and acting as the President of the Board during the competition. “Team building through competition is the best way to build camaraderie between troops, competition is always the separator of all of our top shelf guys.”
For Soldiers and NCOs who volunteered to participate in the competition, training and preparation was intense and demanding.
“I’ve been nervous about everything that they’ve had planned for us,” said Sgt. Rudy Madrid, an aircraft structural repairer assigned to D Company, 2nd Battalion, 501st Aviation Regiment. “But I know that all of the training and hard work that I’ve put in will pay off.”
The competition was broken into three distinct phases designed to test the versatility of competing Soldiers.
The first phase consisted of a run in full combat gear, including an unloaded weapon. The second phase of the competition was composed of various skills lanes, including tasks such as tactical combat casualty care, the assembly and disassembly of an M4A1 carbine, an M9 pistol and an M249 machine gun and the performance of voice operations. The third phase was composed of a knowledge assessment board pitting the contestants in front of a board composed of senior NCOs and Chief Warrant Officer 5s.
Dealing with everyone who was trying to draw weapons today was the hardest part of the morning, said Spc. Matthew Gatien an ammunition specialist assigned to E Company, 1st Battalion, 501st Aviation Regiment. “I got really nervous, but thanks to my sponsor… I was able to get it done.”
Sgt. Kristian Jimenez and Pfc. Andrew Lebron of C Company, 1-501 ARB won the CAB’s NCO of the Quarter and Soldier of the Quarter awards, respectively, excelling in both the physical and knowledge-based aspects of the competition. In addition to the personal satisfaction that they share in knowing that they proved their excellence, both will also occupy a piece of the CAB’s “Wall of Fame” showcasing fellow victors.
This Soldier and NCO of the Quarter competition was unique, as it incorporated CW5s in a board process usually populated by NCOs.
All aspects of an aviation unit must be represented, Lee said in describing the inherent value of warrant officers in the structure of an aviation unit. “CW5s are an essential part of our leadership structure.”
The competition allows for potential NCOs and Soldiers to look forward to proving their merits as well as providing an upbeat yet challenging atmosphere in which to compete.
“The more we have competitions, the more people want to train for the whole quarter just to compete,” Lee said. “I just want to make sure everyone’s positive, it’s a fun event.”
| Date Taken: | 03.21.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 03.21.2018 14:48 |
| Story ID: | 270123 |
| Location: | FORT BLISS, TEXAS, US |
| Web Views: | 79 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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