Photo By Staff Sgt. Dustin Jordan | U.S. Army Sgt. Cory Staab, Detachment 1, 842nd Engineer Company, South Dakota Army...... read more read more
The South Dakota Army National Guard evaluated four enlisted Soldiers and three non-commissioned officers, April 7-8, for the state’s Best Warrior Competition, which names the Soldier and Non-Commissioned Officer of the Year, respectively.
Sgt. Cory Staab, Detachment 1, 842nd Engineer Company, was named the 2018 SDARNG Non-Commissioned Officer of the Year and Spc. Bailey Ruff, Detachment 2, 842nd Engineer Company, the 2018 SDARNG Soldier of the Year.
Traditionally, the competition is a three-day event that assesses the participants’ ability to fulfill the total Soldier concept, which is designed to bring out the best in every Soldier through physical fitness, education and leadership, among other aspects. The winners were selected using a paper board this year due to inclement weather during the scheduled event.
“Mother nature made this year’s competition very difficult,” said State Command Sgt. Maj. James Hoekman, the SDNG’s senior enlisted leader. “Most of the events they do are tied directly to battle drills and warrior tasks which requires intense physical training outdoors and it wasn’t safe for them to compete.”
The paper board review consisted of the competitors’ major command’s evaluations, which resulted in cumulative scores based from their Army Physical Fitness Test, weapons qualification, awards, and military training and education, to name a few.
“It’s been very humbling,” said Staab. “I never thought I would be NCO of the Year and representing our state at regionals when I enlisted.”
At regionals, they will be tested on a variety of skill sets, which can include warrior tasks and battle drills, written essays, uniforms and appearance, drill and ceremony, land navigation and map reading, first aid, weapon systems, physical fitness and general Army knowledge.
“Each of the next levels of competition is definitely an increase in difficulty,” said Hoekman. “We go against seven other states at regionals and several of those states have Army rangers, Special Forces and other infantry-type personnel, so they’re competing against people who perform these tasks every day.”
The Region 6 Best Warrior Competition is scheduled for May at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, where Staab and Ruff will represent the SDARNG against Soldiers from Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming and North Dakota.
“It’s been very humbling to be selected as this year’s Soldier of the Year,” said Ruff. “I look forward to proving myself at regionals – I want a good showing for our state.”
Joining Ruff in the SDARNG Best Warrior Competition were Spc. Spencer Kirkpatrick, 152nd Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, the 2018 Soldier of the Year runner-up/alternate; Spc. Jesse Thorne, 235th Military Police Company; and Spc. Eric Sanders, 881st Troop Command.
Staab’s fellow NCOs in the competition were Sgt. 1st Class Clint Sandness, SDARNG Medical Command, the 2018 NCO of the Year runner-up/alternate, and Sgt. Tyler Jacob, 82nd Civil Support Team.
“I look forward to the opportunity to compete at regionals,” said Staab. “It’s going to make me grow as a person and a leader, which will allow me to use the training and knowledge I learn there to be a better mentor for my peers in my unit and the organization as a whole.”
While Staab and Ruff will move on to represent South Dakota in the regional competition, and potentially nationally, it was the year leading up to the competition that ultimately affects the organization.
“When these Soldiers and NCOs see the intensity of the training they go through in the Best Warrior Competition, they get to bring those skills back to their units and impress upon them the importance of high-intensity, quality training,” said Hoekman. “In today’s operating domain around the world, our Soldiers have to be in the best physical shape and they need to be ready to fight if they have to.”
| Date Taken: | 04.25.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 04.25.2018 16:44 |
| Story ID: | 274500 |
| Location: | RAPID CITY, SOUTH DAKOTA, US |
| Web Views: | 3,198 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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