16th Engineer Brigade Public Affairs

Courtesy Story

by Sgt. 1st Class Tracy Ballog
16th Eng. Bde. PAO

CAMP LIBERTY, Iraq – It was a clean sweep for the 5th Engineer Battalion when the 16th Engineer Brigade's 2006 Soldier and Noncommissioned Officer of the Year winners were announced Sept. 30.

Sgt. George Milam, Company A, 5th Eng. Bn., earned top honors as the brigade's 2006 NCO of the Year, and Sgt. Zheng Zou, Co. B, 5th Eng. Bn., earned the Soldier of the Year Award.

Milam, a resident of Wallhalla, S.C., and Zou, a resident of Queens, N.Y., both serve as team leaders and combat engineers in the battalion.

"All the participants were worthy of being chosen as the brigade's winner," said Command Sgt. Maj. Victor Riley, 16th Eng. Bde. "With that being said, they are all winners. It takes a tremendous amount of work and determination to make it to this level of competition."

All of the Soldiers who participated had previously been selected as battalion and brigade Soldier and NCOs of the Quarter. The Soldiers' collective professionalism, leadership skill and technical knowledge made for a very close competition, he said.

The Board's events included a six-mile road march with a 30-pound rucksack; a written exam covering areas such as Army history, code of conduct, leadership and battle-focused training; weapons qualification; hands-on warrior task testing and a board appearance.

"The five events used to determine the selection of the Soldier and NCO of the Year were tough. Winners were selected by their average score of all the events combined. This was the only way to do the selection fairly," said Riley.

Sgt. George Milam, who earned a position in the NCO category by virtue of a 4th quarter NCO board win, said he was honored by his selection.

"I feel that there are a number of NCOs within the brigade who are deserving of this level of recognition," he said. "I am honored to have been selected for this distinction."

Sgt. Zou, who was promoted to Sergeant following his selection as the brigade's Soldier of the Quarter, was equally proud of his accomplishment.

"I feel great being the Soldier of the Year for the 16th Eng. Bde.," he said. "I feel like I made my family (and my unit) proud."

Both Milam and Zou said the selection and board experience will prove beneficial to their future military goals.

"The competition was fierce. I had to go against the previous brigade Soldiers of the Quarter winners. They both put up a great fight, and it was really close. This is like a stepping-stone for my future plans. I can use this experience for anything I do in my future military experience," Zou said.

"Being selected for this honor was useful both for the learning process that accompanied it and will allow me to set an example for other Soldiers. My future career goals remain the same – to train my Soldiers to perform to the best of their abilities and to set a good example for them," said Milam.

The soldiers' leaders said they weren't surprised by their selections.

"What he accomplished while answering the 'call to duty' on this deployment has been simply amazing," said 1st Sgt. Douglas Gault, Co. B, 5th Eng. Bn. "This Soldier has won the battalion Soldier of the Month and Soldier of the Quarter, the brigade Soldier of the Quarter, and now, the brigade Soldier of the Year.

"Along with these accomplishments, he was the gunner for his squad's vehicle and did not miss any missions because he didn't want to be away from his platoon despite having to prepare for all the boards. That is living the Army values. He set a tough standard to follow and I feel his potential to excel in the military is unlimited."

The Soldiers' themselves possessed a special raw talent developed by their own initiative and innate desire to excel, said Command Sgt. Maj. Kevin Curtis, the battalion's senior enlisted leader

"Their success during these boards was an effort that started with the Soldier, but was driven and made possible by the NCOs under which they are entrusted," he said. "I have some of the greatest Soldiers and NCOs in my care the Army has to offer. Their success has displayed that everything we do in the 5th Eng. Bn. is a true team effort, and I could not be more proud."

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