Photo By Sgt. Andrew McNeil | Col. Michael McFadden (left), the commander of the 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade, 3rd...... read more read more
HUNTER ARMY AIRFIELD, Ga. – The winners of the 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade’s Best Warrior Competition 2021 were announced March 19 at Hunter Army Airfield, Georgia.
Sgt. Nikky Otero, a UH-60 Helicopter repairer assigned to 4th Battalion, 3rd Aviation Regiment, and Pfc. Garrett Stokum, a Grey Eagle unmanned aerial vehicle operator assigned to 3rd Squadron, 17th Cavalry Regiment, won the best Noncommissioned Officer and Soldier of the competition. Both Soldiers will represent 3rd CAB at the 3rd Infantry Division’s competition later this year.
“This was a good experience,” said Otero. “Representing the brigade is a little intimidating but is a good challenge that will require a lot of hard work, and I want to represent the brigade in a good manner.”
Otero and Stokum were two of ten Soldiers from the brigade who participated in the four-day competition. The events tested their Army knowledge, warrior tasks and battle drills, and pushed them physically and mentally.
“To get ready physically, I do PT [physical training] in the morning and then I work out when I get home after work,” Stokum said. “To prepare knowledge wise, I had to rely on the people in my unit to share their knowledge and help me study.”
The first day consisted of the participants performing an Army Combat Physical Fitness Test in the morning and a M4 rifle qualification later that afternoon.
The Soldiers were put through a physical gauntlet of sprints, high crawls and kettlebell carries to raise their heart rates before firing their weapons. This competition is designed to see who can remain calm and perform in a stressful environment.
On the second day, the competitors completed a 12-mile ruck march around the airfield. After the ruck march, they were tested on their basic Soldiering skills such as weapon familiarization on multiple weapon systems, patrolling and combat medical care.
For the third day of the competition, Soldiers were required to attend a formal board. This board consisted of senior noncommissioned officers who assessed them on their knowledge of Army doctrine and leadership skills.
On the fourth day, 3rd CAB held an award ceremony announcing the winners of the competition. Col. Michael McFadden, 3rd CAB commander, presented Sgt. Nikky Otero and Pfc. Garrett Stokum with a trophy and an Army Commendation Medal for winning 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade’s Best Soldier and Noncommissioned Officer of the Year. All other participants received a brigade coin from the brigade commander.
“This helps me improve, and this is something I can pass on to my Soldiers,” Otero said. “I hope seeing me compete and win gives them a little more motivation to achieve their own goals.”
| Date Taken: | 03.19.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 03.24.2021 16:22 |
| Story ID: | 392210 |
| Location: | HUNTER ARMY AIRFIELD, GEORGIA, US |
| Hometown: | SAVANNAH, GEORGIA, US |
| Web Views: | 56 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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