III Armored Corps and Fort Hood hosts Army Best Medic Competition

Photo By Staff Sgt. Daniel Herman | Staff. Sgt. Heather Kicki, Combat Medic Specialist, 3rd infantry Division, performs Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) on a practice dummy during the Army's Best Medic Compentition.Twenty-two two-Soldier teams from all around the world traveled to Fort Hood, Texas to compete in the finals to be named the Army’s Best Medic. The competition is a 72-hour arduous test of the teams’ physical and mental skills. Competitors must be agile, adaptive leaders who demonstrate mature judgment while testing collective team skills in areas of physical fitness, tactical marksmanship, leadership, warrior skills, land navigation and overall knowledge of medical, technical and tactical proficiencies through a series of hands-on tasks in a simulated operational environment. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Daniel Herman)  

FORT HOOD, TEXAS, UNITED STATES

01.25.2022

Story by Sgt. Melissa Lessard 

III Armored Corps

By: Sgt. Melissa N. Lessard, III Corps Public Affairs

FORT HOOD, Texas – Day one of the Army’s Sgt. Maj. Jack L. Clark Jr. U.S. Army Best Medic Competition started cold and gloomy January 24 here, as combat medics from across the Army began the day with the Army Combat Fitness Test, an obstacle course and an M-4 carbine rifle range.

Forty four medics paired up from 22 different Army units to compete in the competition, which is a two-Soldier team competition that physically and intellectually challenges the Army's best medics in a multi-day demanding, continuous, and realistic simulated operational environment.

“I think it was a good combination with breaking up the ACFT in conjunction with the obstacle course,” said Sgt. Chase Rheinlander, combat medic,1st Cavalry Division. “It was a pretty good smoker.”

Rheinlander is competing with his teammate and fellow medic, Sgt. 1st Class Dain Neininger, from 1st Cav. Div.

“Me and my teammate here, I feel like we did pretty good,” Rheinlander said. “We gave enough effort and we still have enough stamina for the rest of the week.”

Rheinlander said he and his teammate braced for the wet weather after noticing it was pouring rain. They both brought their wet weather gear.

“Just know that Fort Hood the weather always changes in Texas. Instead of ‘wax on wax off’ it is ‘jackets on jackets off,’” he said.

The 1st Cav. Div. Soldiers have been training for this competition for months.

“We were given a few months to train…” Rheinlander said.

Both Soldiers were able to travel to different courses to train, Rheinlander said. They also held each other accountable with early morning ruck marches. This is how they were able to physically and mentally train for the competition.

the 1st Cavalry Division isn’t the only team competing from the III Armored Corps. Also vying for the title of ‘best medics’ from across the corps are Soldiers from the 1st Medical Brigade and the 4th Infantry Division.

“It would be a huge honor to win the competition and bring it back to the 4th Inf. Div., 2nd SBCT and our squadron,” said Sgt. Ismael Marquez, 3rd Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, during an interview earlier this week. “The esprit de corps in our unit would continue to grow. We want our unit to be able to say we only produce ‘Best Medics.’ That’s the goal–to have the best medical platoon in the U.S. Army.”

The competition culminates January 28 on Fort Hood with a ceremony that recognizes the winners. This is the 11th year of the competition, hosted by U.S. Army Medical Command.

• Date Taken: 01.25.2022
• Date Posted: 01.25.2022 10:02
• Story ID: 413369
• Location: FORT HOOD, TEXAS, US