Photo By Edward Muniz | Sgt. Ronald McClusky, left, a 27D - Paralegal Specialist for the Fires Center of...... read more read more
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FORT SILL, Okla. — Sgt. Ronald McClusky and Spc. Raymond Martinez earned top honors as the Fires Center of Excellence and Fort Sill’s Paralegal Non-Commissioned Officer of the Year and Paralegal Soldier of the Year, respectively, following a five-day competition from Oct. 28-31 at Fort Sill.
The annual Paralegal of the Year Competition, which embodies the Office of the Staff JudgeAdvocate (SJA) motto “Soldiers First, Lawyers Always,” challenged nine paralegal Soldiers across the installation to demonstrate their military readiness and technical expertise.
Soldiers competed against each other in the following events: The Confidence Obstacle Course, Army Combat Fitness Test, the Engagement Skills Trainer range, a written examination and a board review. Each event tested the Soldiers’ capabilities in both physical endurance and professional knowledge.
Master Sgt. Prince Roper, the event’s coordinator and Chief Paralegal for the Fort Sill Office of the SJA, said U.S. Army recruits may think the paralegal field only offers an opportunity to work on a computer or in a courtroom, but this competition proved otherwise.
“These two winners, and the rest of the competitors this year, show we are that much more viable in the space of operations, not just military justice,” Roper said.
McClusky, a 27D - Paralegal Specialist for the FCoE Office of the SJA, and a new Non-Commissioned Officer recently promoted to sergeant, said he decided to compete when he fell short at the third quarter competition after returning from a deployment.
“We are always Soldiers,” McClusky said. “We have to be able to perform in difficult situations, and we always have to be ready to deploy at any time. So all those basic soldiering tasks—movements, using the weapon, being physically fit and ready—those are all important things. And after that, being a paralegal comes second.”
Martinez, a 27D - Paralegal Specialist for the 75th Field Artillery Brigade Legal Office, said this was his second year competing at the FCoE competition and his confidence grew tremendously from last year’s competition to this year’s competition.
“I didn't win by the landslide that I had hoped,” Martinez said.” And that's only going to motivate me to continue to be a better Soldier and paralegal. So, I would say just building that momentum and projecting my career forward is what this competition has done for me.”
FCoE SJA Col. Kris Murray said the hardest part of the competition is making the decision to step up and volunteer to compete.
“Being tested on the physical, being tested on the mental, being tested on grit, being tested with your soldiering skills—all that is exactly what we’re looking for with our Soldiers and paralegals,” Murray said.
Martinez was brand new to Fort Sill when he competed for the first time. He said he was only boots-on-ground for about two weeks at the time of the competition, but that didn’t stop him from throwing his hat in the ring, which paid off this second time.
“You never know until you actually are in it,” Martinez said. "Everybody's nervous to try something new, but it isn't until you are actually putting your foot forward that you'll find yourself along the way. Whether you perform at the quality that you would like, or not, you at least, will find out more about yourself than if you didn't try.”
Murray said this competition is an opportunity for the competitors to have a better understanding of baseline soldiering skills that are required once they go out into the operational side of the Army.
“We are Soldiers first, and that's our touchstone, and we always go back to that operational mission side of things,” Murray said.
Roper said even though these Soldiers were ultimately competing against each other, he saw a tremendous amount of teamwork between them.
“They all held each other accountable and made sure they cheered until the end,” Roper said, “ensuring from the first event, the ACFT, all the way until their board appearance, giving people tips and helping them with their uniforms.”
The Fort Sill Paralegal of the Year Competition reinforces the U.S. Army’s focus on maintaining highly skilled Soldiers who are prepared to support the mission at all levels.
McClusky will represent Fort Sill and compete in the Training and Doctrine Command Paralegal of the Year Competition in May 2025 at Fort Moore, Ga., while Martinez will compete at the Forces Command Paralegal of the Year Competition in March 2025 at Fort Liberty, N.C.
“They will go on to compete and continue to show their prowess and put their best foot forward,” Roper said. “Other paralegals all throughout the world will come and compete at those two events, so it’s good that we have some competitors, and we have some people that can win.”
| Date Taken: | 11.12.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 11.12.2024 17:14 |
| Story ID: | 485114 |
| Location: | FORT SILL, OKLAHOMA, US |
| Web Views: | 25 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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