Photo By Sgt. Isaiah J Scott | The 2024 U.S. Army and U.S. Army Reserve Drill Sergeants of the Year were announced...... read more read more
FORT JACKSON, S.C. — The 2024 U.S. Army and U.S. Army Reserve Drill Sergeants of the Year were announced during a ceremony held at Fort Jackson, S.C. on Sept, 19, 2024.
After four days of physically and mentally grueling competition, Staff Sgt. Samuel Matlock, a Drill Sergeant representing the Maneuver Support Center of Excellence at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., was awarded the honorary belt as the active-duty U.S. Army Drill Sergeant of the Year.
Sgt. First Class Jake Mrzena, a Drill Sergeant Leader with the U.S. Army Drill Sergeant Academy at Fort Jackson, S.C., earned the title of U.S. Army Reserve Drill Sergeant of the Year.
“It’s absolutely incredible, very humbling to have been selected for this position,” said Matlock. “Representing my peers I hope to be able to effect change as much as possible for Drill Sergeants across the Army and trainees coming into our organization to maximize our effectiveness in providing a combat ready force.”
Command Sgt. Maj. Michael McMurdy, the senior enlisted leader for the U.S. Army Center for Initial Military Training, emphasized how this competition is different from other “best of” competitions.
“This competition is the Army’s most physically, mentally and professionally intense job interview,” said McMurdy. “Unlike other Army competitions, the winners of this one are signing up for another year of demanding duty, representing 4,000 of their peers and advising senior leaders.”
Command Sgt. Maj. Raymond S. Harris, the senior enlisted leader for U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command and the keynote speaker for the ceremony, emphasized this point in his remarks with an eye on the future.
“You’ll represent all 3,894 Drill Sergeants we have in TRADOC,” Harris said. “You’re going to represent their interests, you’re going to fight for their families, their quality of life. You will also help develop and design the proper way to train our Drill Sergeants and our trainees as we march forward with transformation for the Army of 2030 and 2040.”
Mrzena said he looked forward to being a voice for Drill Sergeants throughout the Army.
“Winning this competition is definitely the highlight of my military career, it feels great,” stated Mrzena. “Being a Drill Sergeant is one of the hardest yet most rewarding jobs and being able to represent Army Reserve Drill Sergeants and help them and give back, to make sure that their quality of life is good, it will be an honor.”
In a change from previous years, this competition included increased emphasis on the mental challenges any new DSOY would face representing 4,000 of their peers to higher level leaders.
“This year we implemented a lot of DSOY-level tasks like information briefs and essays,” said Staff Sgt. Ashley Buhl, the 2023 active component DSOY who has worked for the past year for CIMT. “As a DSOY, I’m not out there conducting PT with trainees, pitching position of attention or rucking every day, and so we put increased emphasis on the mental aspect during this competition on top of the physical challenges they faced.”
Addressing the 14 DSOY competitors, Lt. Gen. David J. Francis, the TRADOC Deputy Commanding General and Commanding General for CIMT, stressed that though there would only be one active-duty and one Reserve winner, each of the competitors represent the best of the NCO corps and will continue to have an outsized impact on the future of the Army.
“This competition was intense, it was fierce,” said Francis. “I want to tell each and every one of you that you are our future. You are the Drill Sergeants who will lead initial entry training into the future and I want to thank you all for your leadership and for stepping up to compete in this year’s competition.”
| Date Taken: | 09.19.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 09.19.2024 15:03 |
| Story ID: | 481320 |
| Location: | FORT JACKSON, SOUTH CAROLINA, US |
| Web Views: | 146 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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