Army’s best compete in 3rd annual Soldier, NCO competition

[SR-25]

FORT LEE, Va. (Army News Service, Sept. 13, 2004) – Nervous, but confident. That’s the general consensus from Soldiers competing in the Army’s third Soldier and Noncommissioned Officer of the Year competition at Fort Lee, Va., Sept. 11 to 17.

“This event is so important,” said Sgt. Maj. of the Army Kenneth O. Preston. “The Soldiers will have an opportunity to show the board how much they know about their service and in doing, set examples of their expertise and professionalism to their peers. The competition is meant to be tough to identify the best of the best. Every Soldier in the competition is a reflection on the Army.”

During the week-long competition, Soldiers will compete in the Army Physical Fitness Test, a written exam and essay, day and night navigation, warrior task testing, and a mystery event at Fort Lee. They will then travel to Arlington, Va., for the board, which will be presided over by Preston. The Soldiers with the highest total score will be named the Soldier and NCO of the Year.

“The mix of contestants couldn’t be more different – including three women, two immigrants, and one who flew in from Afghanistan – all joining to become 20 of the Army’s best Soldiers to compete for the coveted title of Department of the Army Soldier and NCO of the Year. They are:

• Pfc. Karen A. Antonyan, representing the Military District of Washington, competing in the Soldier of the Year competition. He is a rescue technician with the MDW Engineer Company at Fort Belvoir, Va., and a native of Donetsk, Ukraine;

• Staff Sgt. Andres Bullock, representing Training and Doctrine Command, competing in the NCO of the Year competition. He is an instructor with the 5th Ranger Training Battalion at Fort Benning, Ga., and hails from San Diego, Calif.;

• Spc. Joseph R. Camire, representing U.S. Army Special Operations Command, competing in the Soldier of the Year competition. He is an aircraft powertrain mechanic with the 3rd Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne), Hunter Army Airfield, Savannah, Ga., and is native to Jacksonville, N.C.;

• Sgt. Samuel E. Cowell, representing U.S. Armed Forces Korea, competing in the NCO of the Year competition. He is a signals intelligence team leader with the 532nd Military Intelligence Battalion, Camp Humphreys, Korea, and is from Bellingham, Mass.;

• Staff Sgt. Timothy L. Dess, representing Medical Command, competing in the NCO of the Year competition. He is a medical logistics NCO in charge at Fort Richardson, Alaska, and hails from Fort Benton, Mont.;

• Spc. Daniel G. Everly, representing Space and Missile Defense Command, competing in the Soldier of the Year competition. He is a joint tactical ground station operator with 1st Space Company, Kelley Barracks, Stuttgart, Germany, and is native to Carmichaels, Pa.;

• Spc. Christopher J. Fisher, representing Army Materiel Command, competing in the Soldier of the Year competition. He is a test, measurement and diagnostic equipment maintenance support specialist with the 95th Maintenance Company, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, and is from California City, Calif.;

• Spc. Christiana Garcia, representing TRADOC, competing in the Soldier of the Year competition. She is a supply sergeant with the 369th Adjutant General Battalion, Fort Jackson, S.C., and is from San Antonio, Texas;

• Sgt. Gurusahai Good, representing MEDCOM, competing in the Soldier of the Year competition. She is a health care specialist with the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, Germany, and is native to Denver, Colo.;

• Staff Sgt. Brian A. Jakubiak, representing Forces Command, competing in the NCO of the Year competition. He is a custodian with the 134th Signal Battalion, 34th Infantry Division, Minnesota Army National Guard, and hails from Shakopee, Minn.;

• Staff Sgt. Curtis L. Kimbrell, representing SMDC, competing in the NCO of the Year competition. He is an assistant operations sergeant with the 100th Missile Defense Brigade, Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado Springs, Colo., and is native to Spokane, Wash.;

• Sgt. Gabriel A. Martinez, representing U.S. Army Pacific, competing in the Soldier of the Year competition. He is a petroleum laboratory technician with the 505th Quartermaster Battalion, Torii Station, Okinawa, Japan, and is from Mesquite, Texas;

• Spc. Wilfredo A. Mendez, representing USAF Korea, competing in the Soldier of the Year competition. He is a signals intelligence analyst with the 3rd Military Intelligence Battalion, Camp Humphreys, and hails from Rio Grande, Puerto Rico;

• Staff Sgt. Stephen E. Mudge, representing USARPAC, competing in the NCO of the Year competition. He is a squad leader with the 25th Military Police Company, Schofield Barracks, and is native to Weymouth, Mass.;

• Sgt. John R. Parker, representing SOCOM, competing in the NCO of the Year competition. He is a counterintelligence analyst wit the 3rd Bn., 160th Special Ops. Avn. Regt. (Abn.), Hunter Army Airfield, and is from Owensboro, Ky.;

• Sgt. Brandon M. Parrett, representing AMC, competing in the NCO of the Year competition. He is a shop foreman and a nuclear, biological and chemical NCO with the 95th Maint. Co., Schofield Barracks, and is a native of Indiana;

• Spc. Megan R. Pitts, representing U.S. Army Europe, competing in the Soldier of the Year competition. She is an intelligence analyst with the 14th Transportation Battalion, Vicenza, Italy, and is native of Inola, Okla.;

• Staff Sgt. James P. Rehl, representing USAEUR, competing in the NCO of the Year competition. He is an operating room section sergeant with the 67th Forward Surgical Team, Giebelstadt Army Airfield, Germany, and is from Boise, Idaho;

• Spc. Bobby R. Stepro, representing FORSCOM, competing in the Soldier of the Year competition. He is a gunner on am M2A2 Bradley with 2nd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga., and hails from Corydon, Ind.; and

• Staff Sgt. John M. Thompson, representing MDW, competing in the NCO of the Year competition. He is a platoon sergeant with the 80th Area Support Group, Chievres Air Base, Belgium and is from Port Lavaca, Texas.

The Soldiers say they are ready to face their competitors.

“The competition is great,” Kimbrell said. “Everyone here wants to win.”

Because of the challenges of a daily mission, the Soldiers said they studied for the event on evenings and weekends.

“Because I have such a demanding job, I studied the last eight months for this competition during my free time,” Everly said.

"These Soldiers work hard studying at night and on weekends,” Preston said. “That’s one of the secrets in our Army. This is one of the programs that set us apart from all other armies. We have incentives that set our Soldiers apart and encourage them to want to self-improve.”

Battle of the sexes is not an issue either.

“I feel no different than anyone else because I’m female,” Garcia said. “I continue to be harder on myself. I am my own competition.”

As for the esprit behind the competition, the Soldiers said their units were the main cause.

“My motivation is to make my unit proud of me,” Garcia said.

Sgt. Elias Odar, Martinez’ sponsor, had previously won the Soldier of the Year and the NCO of the Quarter competitions at Okinawa and went to Advance Individual Training with Martinez.

“Martinez is married with two children and his wife’s pregnant and due next month,” Odar said. “That’s his motivation to do his best in this competition.”

Sixteen months after going to his first Soldier of the Month board, Martinez found himself in one of the Army’s most prestigious competitions. But Odar said he wishes all the contestants well.

“I told my Soldier that ‘if someone beats you, they deserve to win,’ because he studied every free time he had,” Odar said. “I’m behind him 100 percent, but I’m expecting him to win.”

“Regardless of who wins, every one of them is a winner,” Preston said.