Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Mary Junell | U.S. Army Spc. Dustin Wilmoth with the Recruiting and Retention Battalion, North...... read more read more
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NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – The North Carolina National Guard will have a soldier competing in the Army National Guard’s Best Warrior Competition for the first time since the competition began in 2002.
Spc. Dustin Wilmoth, a recruiter with the Recruiting and Retention Battalion, 60th Troop Command, will represent the state in the enlisted category of the competition held at the Professional Education Center in North Little Rock, Ark., July 21 through July 24.
Wilmoth didn’t realize he was the first guardsman from his state to make it this far in the competition and said he was excited for the opportunity.
“I feel blessed to be here,” Wilmoth said. “I have heard it’s going to be a really hard competition, but I’m going to give it my best shot.”
Wilmoth is one of seven enlisted soldiers competing for the title of Army National Guard Best Warrior and the chance to represent the National Guard at the Army competition later this year. The competition will test their mental and physical abilities as they propel themselves through three days of grueling competition, which includes a seven to 12 mile-road march, weapons qualifications, an Army physical fitness test and essay-writing contest.
Command Sgt. Maj. Kevin Whitaker, the senior noncommissioned officer for the Recruiting and Retention Battalion, 60th TC, said he is proud of how far Wilmoth has come in the competition.
“We’ve had a lot of great soldiers from our state compete over the years,” Whitaker said. “This year Wilmoth has everything in the right place at the right time. He has put together the appropriate amount of training and some how managed to still accomplish his regular job.”
Whitaker also emphasized Wilmoth’s performance says a lot about his character.
“It just speaks volumes about his natural abilities, his past experiences and his ability to learn something new and learn it quickly,” said Whitaker. “It doesn’t take anything away from our other competitors in the past, it just catapults Wilmoth to the next level and shows what he brings to the table.”
Wilmoth had to compete at the battalion, brigade, state and regional levels before arriving at the Army National Guard competition. This competition is not the first time he has had to overcome a challenge to get where he is today.
In 2007, before Wilmoth enlisted in the North Carolina Army National Guard, he weighed 269 pounds. He changed his habits and motivated himself to lose a few pounds before enlisting and barely passed the tape test. The tape test is a measurement used to determine a soldier’s body-fat percentage.
“If I can do it, anybody can do it,” said Wilmoth, who is now in excellent shape. “I never thought in my wildest dreams that I would be here right now. I’m pretty sure that if a chubby kid from Oxford [N.C.] can do it, any one else can to. You just have to be willing to take that first step.”
Wilmoth’s hopes are that he sets a good example for other soldiers, and they will continue representing the North Carolina Army National Guard during this level of the Best Warrior Competition.
“I hope many people follow in my footsteps,” Wilmoth said. It’s cool to be the first enlisted and the first person in general to make it to this level. It’s always cool to be the first at something, but, especially in a competition like this, it’s not just about being first, it’s about encouraging others to go farther. If I don’t make it past nationals I want them to carry that mantle and go farther. And, if I do win, I want others to do the same thing. North Carolina is a force to be reckoned with.”
| Date Taken: | 07.22.2013 |
| Date Posted: | 07.23.2013 22:51 |
| Story ID: | 110678 |
| Location: | NORTH LITTLE ROCK, AR, US |
| Hometown: | OXFORD, NC, US |
| Web Views: | 222 |
| Downloads: | 2 |
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