Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Mary Junell | Sgt. Nkosi Campbell, left, and Spc. Dustin Wilmoth, both North Carolina National Guard...... read more read more
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CAMP MCCRADY TRAINING CENTER, EASTOVER, S.C. – National Guard soldiers from across eight states and two U.S. Territories sat quiet and tired after four days of strenuous competition, May 2, as Command Sgt. Maj. Robert H. Brickley, the South Carolina National Guard’s senior noncommissioned officer, asked for the envelope containing the name of the winner of this year’s Region III Best Warrior Competition.
The individual event awards, including fastest road march, fastest obstacle course and highest Army physical fitness test score, had already been handed out and the runners-up for the enlisted and non-commissioned officer categories already honored.
Brickley slowly tore open the envelope, slid the sheet of paper out and unfolded it.
Soldiers, who had trained for several months, and spent the last four days testing their strength, endurance and knowledge, strained their necks to try and read the name through the paper or catch a glimpse of the letters as he turned it right side up and read the name before announcing it out loud.
“The winner of the Region III Best Warrior Competition in the non-commissioned officer category is Sgt. Nkosi Campbell from North Carolina.”
The gymnasium-turned-banquet hall filled with cheers and clapping as Campbell stood to accept his trophy.
The table from North Carolina was especially loud; this was the third time that night North Carolina was recognized. Spc. Dustin Wilmoth, who competed in the enlisted category, had already been named first runner-up and received the award for highest Army physical fitness test score out of the competition’s 10 junior enlisted soldiers.
Campbell and Wilmoth, both North Carolina National Guard recruiters with the Recruiting and Retention Battalion, 60th Troop Command, trained hard to be successful in the strenuous four-day competition, but their training will only increase as they prepare for the National Guard Bureau Best Warrior Competition to be held in Arkansas this July.
Best Warrior Competitions are designed to test a soldier’s mental and physical strength. The soldiers competed at the battalion, brigade and state level before moving onto the regional competition.
Their training intensified with each win.
Campbell was surprised by his win, but said he will take what he learned at this competition and apply it to his preparation for the national competition.
“I was actually surprised when they called my name,” said Campbell, who won the Region IV Best Warrior Competition in 2010 when he was a member of the Louisiana National Guard. “I mean I knew I had been consistent throughout the competition but I didn’t realize how consistent.”
“This competition showed me where my weaknesses are and what I need to focus on,” Campbell said. “I need to start running. I used to be a really good runner and I can max my [Army physical fitness test] but this competition showed me I need to step up my running.”
Wilmoth will also continue training. As a runner up, he can be called upon if Spc. Robert Parrish, from Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 118th Infantry Regiment, South Carolina Army National Guard, who won Regionals, cannot make it to the competition in July.
“This only intensifies my training,” Wilmoth said. “It’s kind of weird because it’s like being in limbo. You’re waiting for the other person to drop out or get hurt. You don’t want that to happen, you want them to be able to compete because they earned it, but at the same time you have to be ready in case they do.”
Wilmoth’s training will also make sure he is prepared for next year’s competition.
“I’m going to sit back and look at the mistakes I made and make sure that I don’t make those mistakes again,” Wilmoth said. “The great thing is that even if I don’t go to nationals I’m just extra prepared for next year’s competition.”
Both soldiers will take about two weeks off from training before beginning to prepare for the National Guard Bureau Best Warrior Competition.
Between now and the national competition in July, Campbell and Wilmoth will run, road march, study Army regulations and push themselves to the next level in hopes of again being named Best Warrior.
After the awards were handed out and congratulations passed around, the competitors left the banquet and prepared to return home, but for the runner-ups and winners, this is not the end.
| Date Taken: | 05.03.2013 |
| Date Posted: | 05.06.2013 15:58 |
| Story ID: | 106427 |
| Location: | EASTOVER, SC, US |
| Web Views: | 123 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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