Photo By Maj. Thomas Piernicky | US Army Reserve Master Sgt. Matthew Hook, a military police officer with the 102nd...... read more read more
RICHMOND, Va.- The 80th Training Command, The Army School System (TASS), held their annual Instructor of the Year competition at Fort Gregg-Adams, from Oct. 28-30, 2024.
Top competitors in every category move on to compete against other instructors from the U.S. Army Reserve Command.
This year saw a total of nine competitors from officers to non-commissioned officers, a warrant officer and a civilian.
The annual competition allows the best instructors demonstrate their skills and proficiency to teach other soldiers the critical skills they need within their career field.
“This allows us to recognize these individuals and their leadership abilities, their ability to facilitate the learning,” said Sgt. Maj. Michael Hunter, Operations Sergeant Major for the 80th Training Command. “What they're doing is preparing the warriors of our organization to go back out into the operational force to better themselves and their organization.”
Instructors come from a variety of backgrounds and diverse skill sets which better enable them to teach other soldiers. Master Sgt. Matthew Hook, a military police officer with the 102nd Training Division, taught a class to familiarize students on the new Sig Sauer M17 pistol using experience from his military and civilian careers.
“As a military police officer that is going to be our primary service weapon,” said Hook.
Hook has 15 years of experience as a military police officer in the United States Army Reserve and over 10 years of experience in a civilian federal law enforcement job.
“On my civilian side, we carry the SIG P320s, which is the civilian model of the M17. So, it is both close to me on the civilian and military side of my careers,” said Hook.
Hook has been an instructor for five years and earned his Senior Instructor Badge earlier this summer. Army Senior Instructor Badges require at least 400 hours of instruction as the primary instruction. Despite having so much experience Hook looked forward for the opportunity to come together with other instructors and learn from them.
“This is great as we really get a feel for each other and being able to learn from each other, as well as prove yourself as being the one of the best in the instructor world,” said Hook.
Other competitors had similar feelings about having the opportunity to represent the Army Reserve against other highly experienced soldiers. Chief Warrant Officer 4 Anastasia Carter of the 83rd Army Reserve Readiness Training Center (USARRTC) said, “This competition is important to me because it validates my efforts and accomplishments of being nominated.”
Carter is this year’s top warrant officer for the 80th TC. “Getting this far in the competition really validates that I'm doing the right thing,” said Carter.
While winning to top spot for a warrant officer, Carter finds the most challenging part of being an instructor is staying knowledgeable and abreast of changing events.
“Things change constantly in the military and in order to effectively teach the students, I have to constantly study,” said Carter.
Being adaptable and teachable are key characteristics of successful instructors. Sgt. 1st Class Terrence Box, a motor transport operator non-commissioned officer and instructor with the 100th Training Division challenges new instructors by asking questions to generate introspection.
“Can you teach you?” asked Box. “If you can teach you, then you're ready to teach everyone else.”
Box is a senior instructor with over seven years of experience who served as an evaluator in this year’s Instructor of the Year competition. Like Carter, Box is always looking for ways to improve his teaching style.
“You see people get stuck in their own ways because they like it the way they like it,” said Box. “But, you should always evolve. I'm always updating myself.”
Hunter agreed with Box’s sentiment and encouraged the competitors to pass on their best practices to other instructors.
“I would love for these instructors to go back to their organizations and share what their experience is, because it's not only is it a competition, but it's a camaraderie thing as well,” Hunter said. “When they come here and they get together, they can then start sharing information amongst themselves of how they best conduct their class, or how best they facilitate their classes.”
This year’s top instructors for the 80th TC were Chief Warrant Officer 4 Anastasia Carter of the 83rd Army Reserve Readiness Training Center (USARRTC), Dr. William Scott of the 83rd USARRTC, Master Sgt. Matthew Hook of the 102nd Training Division, and Lt. Col. Joseph Caperna of the 100th Training Division. These winners will compete against other instructors from across the Army Reserve.
The 80th Training Command (The Army School System) has a force of over 6,000 Army Reserve Soldiers and 270 Civilians authorized to 85 units across 37 states nationwide, while resourcing and conducting almost 1,700 courses each year.
| Date Taken: | 11.07.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 11.07.2024 18:00 |
| Story ID: | 484900 |
| Location: | RICHMOND, VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 207 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Instructors Vie For Top Spots at 80th Training Command Instructor of the Year Competition, by MAJ Thomas Piernicky, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
