From the left, U.S. Army Command Sgt. Maj. Trevor Clark, command sergeant major for the 1-222d Aviation Regiment, 128th Aviation Brigade, Staff Sgt. Joseph Gonzalez, a drill sergeant with Charlie Company, 1-222d AVNRG, 128th AVNBDE, and Lt. Col. Christopher Sood, commander of the 1-222d AVNRG, 128th AVNBDE, stand for a photo at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, May 21, 2026. Sood and Clark announced Gonzalez as the AVNBDE’s Drill Sergeant of the Year after he competed in a two-day long competition that challenged him physically, mentally and professionally. (U.S. Air Force courtesy photo)
The 128th Aviation Brigade announced the winner of its Drill Sergeant of the Year Competition on May 21.
The two-day event saw three drill sergeants from the 1-222d Aviation Regiment compete against each other to see who best embodied the mission of a drill sergeant.
“The DSOY Competition is a culminating event of all our top drill sergeants,” said U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Rachel Helmsbean, a drill sergeant with Charlie Company, 1-222d AVNRG, 128th AVNBDE. “They’re representing their companies and one triple deuce (1-222d AVNRG) as subject matter experts.”
Helmsbean was the winner of last year’s competition and was this year’s host. She was responsible for managing all the events and tallying each competitor’s scores.
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