Photo By Staff Sgt. LaShic Patterson | U.S. Army Pfc. Carrill Konkler and Staff Sgt. Johnathan Munas cut the first slice of...... read more read more
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VILSECK, Germany - Twelve U.S. Army Soldiers participated in the 2d Cavalry Regiment’s Soldier and Non-Commissioned Officer of the Quarter Competition that spanned across Rose Barracks and Camp Aachen, Germany, Nov. 19-20, 2018. The purpose of the competition was to identify excellence by selecting one Soldier and one NCO who performed the overall best during the competition.
With their sponsors cheering them on, the Soldiers gathered in front of the Rose Barracks Law Center and began the competition by performing the Army physical fitness test. A quick layout of the required equipment was conducted before departing to complete the remainder of the day’s events in Camp Aachen.
The competition consisted of an obstacle course, a 300-meter sprint, a stress shoot with the M4 rifle, a foot march with a 40 pound ruck sack, a combat life saver and a 9-line medical evacuation scenario, utilizing preventive maintenance checks and services to find military vehicle deficiencies, a radio check and enemy report submission, and a day and night land navigation where the Soldiers were to complete a multiple choice test before finding eight coordinates on the course.
Staff Sgt. Johnathan Munas, 4th Squadron, 2CR, encouraged other NCOs to compete believing that good Army training can be gained by competing.
“Coming out here [and] being able to do a land navigation course, stress shoot, ruck [march] and obstacle course gave me the opportunity to be able to exercise my craft,” said Munas. “If you want to do your job and you want to compete to see how you’re doing, come here.”
On the next day at 6 a.m., the participants arrived for the board, each taking final glances at their study materials and Army service uniforms to ensure that they were in standard with Army regulation.
Along with Munas, the eleven other participants included Sgt. Eric Hernandez and Spc. Andrew Roberts with the 1st Squadron, Sgt. Dustyn Moore and Spc. Michael Meng with the 3rd Squadron, Pfc. Collin Abrahams with the 4th Squadron, Sgt. Jessica Webb and Pfc. Andrew Zaranko with the Regimental Support Squadron, Sgt. Robby Pedro and Spc. Peter Drall with the Regimental Engineer Squadron, and Sgt. Braxton Villanueva and Pfc. Carrill Konkler with the Field Artillery Squadron.
The award ceremony was hosted by Regimental Command Sgt. Maj. Steven Brown, senior enlisted advisor of 2CR, at the Stryker Inn Dining Facility. Brown conducted a quick after action review to gain insight on how to improve and add more challenges to the next competition. Before announcing the winner, he presented coins to the runners-up, Hernandez and Meng.
With each competitior going head-to-head against five of their peers, Konkler and Munas respectively won the Soldier and NCO of the Quarter Competition. Earning Army Achievement Medals for their feat, Munas and Konkler stated that they look forward to competing in the Soldier and NCO of the Year Competition.
No stranger to competitions, South Carolina native and cavalry scout, Munas, stated that helping his Soldiers to prepare for boards helped him to train for the competition.
“I prepared by training my Soldiers for them to go to the Soldier of the Month [Board],” said Munas. “I’ve had four Soldiers who have won in the past four months so just preparing them prepared me.”
Konkler, who hails from Mountain View, Arkansas and serves as a culinary specialist, said that her preparation began with the help of her sponsor.
“I had my sponsor give me a study guide,” said Konkler. “He would constantly see where I was at, where I was progressing and where maybe I still needed to study. Then, I went from there to hands-on training. I went out the land navigation site and actually walked through the land navigation site to see where I was at, and I, also, did hands-on weapons training.”
For many Soldiers, competing not only consists of studying and training but also relies on channeling what is within.
“The most challenging part for me was just kind of the physical demand because your body wants you to quit, but it all comes from your heart to just keep going,” said Konkler.
| Date Taken: | 11.20.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 11.27.2018 08:54 |
| Story ID: | 301298 |
| Location: | DE |
| Web Views: | 211 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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