BACH Squad set to compete in RHC-A Best Leader Competition

Photo By Maria Christina Yager | Staff Sgt. Terrence Laisin and members of his squad receive high fives and best wishes from staff at Blanchfield Army Community Hospital, Fort Campbell, Kentucky, April 20. Laisin, along with Capt. Joshua Lockwood, Sgt. Sangoh Choi, Spc. Ilona Campos, Spc. Angel Galvez and Pfc. Tyrion Smith will represent BACH at the Regional Health Command-Atlantic Best Leader Competition, April 25-29, at Fort Benning, Georgia, competing with 12 other squads from Army military treatment facilities East of the Mississippi River.  

FORT CAMPBELL, KENTUCKY, UNITED STATES

04.22.2022

Story by Maria Christina Yager 

Blanchfield Army Community Hospital

FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. – A squad of Soldiers from Blanchfield Army Community Hospital is headed to Fort Benning, Georgia, where they will compete in the Regional Health Command-Atlantic Best Leader Competition, April 25-29.

The Best Leader Competition is designed to promote Esprit De Corps throughout the Army while recognizing Soldiers who demonstrate commitment to the Army Values and embody the Warrior Ethos. Unlike Best Warrior, where a team made up of a non-commissioned officer and a junior enlisted Soldier compete, this competition is made up of a six-member squad.

Capt. Joshua Lockwood, Staff Sgt. Terrence Laisin, Sgt. Sangoh Choi, Spc. Ilona Campos, Spc. Angel Galvez and Pfc. Tyrion Smith will represent BACH, competing with 12 other squads from Army military treatment facilities East of the Mississippi River.

“We are really excited to have our teams compete. In the past, Army competitions focused on an individual Soldier or a team of two’s ability, but this competition takes it a step further and assesses a squad’s cohesiveness and teamwork. This is important because Soldiers in our hospitals and on the battlefield work in teams and squads to take care of patients and win on the battlefield in treatment platoons, forward surgical teams, and field hospitals,” said Capt. Huy Nguyen, commander, BACH Medical Company. “Our team has been training hard and it benefits our entire unit because we’re taking Soldiers from every department of the hospital to train not only our competitors, but our Soldiers and leaders working behind the scenes to help prepare our team.”

BACH’s competitors began training together about two months ago, meeting after work and on weekends. They have worked with various members of the command, ranging from former drill sergeants, a Ranger, marksmanship experts and seasoned combat medics, who have shared their knowledge and experience to help prepare the team as much as possible for any number of events they may face during the competition. 

“We don’t exactly know what the events will be, but we have been using previous [concept of operations] for better known events, like from Best Medic, to train,” said Laisin, the squad’s senior enlisted leader and a regional Best Medic winner.

RHC-A Best Leader Competition will evaluate the teams for physical conditioning and endurance, Army Warrior Tasks, weapons proficiency, individual and collective knowledge, professionalism, leadership, and resiliency. Squads are composed of one officer or warrant officer, one staff sergeant or sergeant first class, one corporal or sergeant and three junior enlisted, specialist and below. The winning squad will move on to compete in the 2022 U.S. Army Medical Command BLC at Fort Benning, June 13-17.

“Our junior Soldiers are really motivated and I’m really happy to compete with them as a squad,” said Sgt. Sangoh Choi, who previously competed and was named BACH Soldier of the Year. “For the NCOs, we knew what kind of competition this was and had an idea of what we were getting in too, but for the Soldiers, it is new to them. It’s great to see their excitement and commitment.”

The award ceremony will be live-streamed on the RHC-A Facebook page April 29, at 9 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time athttp://www.facebook.com/ArmyRhCAtlantic

• Date Taken: 04.22.2022
• Date Posted: 04.23.2022 09:35
• Story ID: 419146
• Location: FORT CAMPBELL, KENTUCKY, US