Photo By Master Sgt. Jerry Saslav | U.S. Army Col. Mario Diaz, commanding officer, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain...... read more read more
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NANGARHAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan – At first glance the seven tasks appeared to be simple, but for the 11 soldiers who gathered on Forward Operating Base Fenty, Oct. 9-11, the simple tasks turned out to be anything but easy.
The six sergeants and five specialists had been selected to represent their battalions in the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division’s Soldier and Noncommissioned Officer of the Quarter competition.
For many soldiers, these types of competitions are not something you would expect to see being held in a combat zone.
“I wanted to put something together to select and recognize the best soldier and the best NCO in the brigade while we were deployed ”, said Command Sgt. Maj. Noe Salinas, senior enlisted advisor, 4th BCT, 10th Mountain Division. “What it does for all of us is reinforce the training, the experience and the knowledge we’re supposed to have. These are all warrior tasks that every soldier in the United States Army should be able to accomplish; whether in combat, in a training center or back in garrison.”
At 6 a.m., Oct.10, the 11 soldiers gathered for their first event, a standard Army physical fitness test. Any soldier, who earns a perfect score in all three events, would receive an additional 50 points toward their total at the end of the competition. The APFT scores helped determine the competition’s winners.
“This is a competition, a little competition in an organization is great,” said Salinas.
The soldiers were told that if they failed either of the competition’s first two events, the APFT or the weapons qualification course, they would be disqualified from further competition.
“Then we went to another basic task,” said Salinas. “You should be able to zero [sight in] your assigned weapon within 18 rounds ... it’s the Army standard.”
The four sergeants and three specialists who gathered at the range later that morning were equipped with M4 carbines, each with an optical sight. This stage of the competition required that each soldier remove their optical sight and then re-zero their weapon using only their iron sights.
“The way we are trained in the United States Army, is if a soldier gets wounded and we have to engage the enemy, we can pick up his or her weapon, battle sight zero it ... and engage targets out to 250 meters,” said Salinas. “It’s a basic soldier task, zeroing and qualifying.”
After the soldier’s zeroed their carbines, they competed in a timed qualification course. A paper target hung 25 meters away, depicting silhouettes appearing as targets ranging from 50 to 300 meters away. The soldiers had to shoot 20 rounds prone and were allowed to support the weapon on a sandbag, 10 rounds prone unsupported and then 10 rounds kneeling.
Seven soldiers began the competition, five moved on the next events.
“I shot a 35 [out of a possible 40], so I’m pretty happy with that ... especially with iron sights,” said Sgt. Adam Nuckols, a native of Waterford, Mich., who serves as a cavalry scout, Troop C, 4th Battalion, 9th Squadron, 2nd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division. “it’s been a while, but it’s always good to keep up with your warrior tasks and drills.
It had been nearly a year since Nuckols used iron sights, for others it had been longer.
“Nobody zeroes with iron sights anymore,” said Sgt. Richard Valentin, a native of Greeley, Colo., who serves as an infantryman, 2nd Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment, 4th BCT, 10th Mountain Division. “Everyone uses [optical sights]. Some people need refreshing, I needed refreshing.”
It is the fact that many soldiers have come to rely on their optical sights that prompted their removal for the competition.
“The reason I went with the iron sights,” said Salinas. “We’re in a combat environment ... if you’re in a ... fire fight and that [optical sight] gets shot off, what are you going to do ... not shoot anymore? You’re going to go back to your basics, which is iron sights.”
It was later in the day when the five remaining competitors, three sergeants and two specialists, gathered for the last four events of the day. For the last three events soldiers had to properly assemble and operate a military radio, demonstrate basic land navigation and map reading skills, disassemble and then reassemble a M9 pistol, an M4 carbine and a M240B machine gun while being timed.
The last event was to perform first aid on an injured soldier, use a stretcher that resembles a sled to transport him to a rally point 100 meters away and then call for a medevac helicopter; all the time both the rescuer and injured are wearing body armor with a full combat load of ammunition and carrying their rifles.
“Hey, you still with me buddy,” asked Spc. Scott Newell, a infantryman, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 4th BCT, 10th Mountain Division, as he applied a bandage to the arm of a fellow soldier simulating a casualty. “Hang in there man, you’ll be outta here in a few minutes.”
Newell quickly applied tourniquets and bandages to the simulated patient’s arms and one leg. In this scenario, the patient was injured by indirect fire [a mortar round] and had lost a foot as well as receiving shrapnel to many parts of his body. The only supplies Newell had available were the patient’s own first aid kit, a combat lifesaver first aid bag and a rolled up plastic stretcher.
To make the scenario harder, the pretend patient was conscious and he yelled and continuously grabbed at Newell; at one point pulling the unit patch off Newell’s arm.
As quickly as he could, Newell treated the patient and stopped the bleeding. Then he unrolled the plastic stretcher, strapped the patient onto it and as quickly as he could dragged the sled the necessary 100 meters.
“I’m tired, it was a lot more work than I thought it would be,” said a sweat drenched Newell, a native of Topeka, Kan., “We got through it, I’m glad I did, now I know more for next time. This [training] is very realistic. If you find yourself in this situation on the battlefield, you need to know how to conduct yourself. This is hard ... I definitely have to take some notes from today and practice. I’ve learned lessons today that I will definitely take back to my unit ... back to my guys, so they can learn from my trials.”
When the events were completed, the five remaining soldiers were released for the day and given the opportunity to rest up and study for the last two events of the competition; a gear inspection and then a knowledge test that was administered by five command sergeants major.
For the inspection the soldiers lined the hallway in a nearby building and the command sergeants major looked through their gear, checking for equipment the soldiers were supposed to have on them. The command sergeants’ major found deficiencies. For example, one soldier had forgotten to put his required second tourniquet in his uniform when he put on a clean uniform that morning; another had his dog tags on a piece of 550 cord instead of a chain.
When the inspection was over, one by one each soldier entered a nearby conference room, where the five command sergeants major waited.
During the closed-door session, the command sergeants major quizzed the soldiers on everything from military customs and courtesies, rules and regulations, Army support services available to service members and their dependents, weapon’s specifications and so on.
“I think it went pretty good,” said Spc. Timothy Corry, a native of Danforth, Maine, who serves as an infantryman, 2nd Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment, 4th BCT, 10th Mountain Division. “I was nervous. “I’m not a really big fan of standing in front of a board of sergeants major.”
Corry wasn’t alone in his feelings.
‘Whenever you’re going into a board ... with a bunch of senior non-commissioned officers ... it’s a bit intimidating. You want to look good, because you are representing the rest of the people in your unit,” said Sgt. Scott Sayce, a native of Pembroke, Mass., who serves as an infantryman, HHC, 4th BCT, 10th Mountain Division. “ I’m going to make everyone in my battalion look good by doing well. The people in my battalion have been training me.”
Eventually the command sergeants major reached a decision and announced the winners.
Sayce and Newell were named the Noncommissioned Officer and Soldier of the Quarter. Each man was awarded an Army Commendation Medal for their efforts.
Salinas reminded all the soldiers that the competition would be held again in 90 days. Many of the competitors, including the winners, said they would enter the next competition.
| Date Taken: | 10.15.2013 |
| Date Posted: | 10.15.2013 04:56 |
| Story ID: | 115139 |
| Location: | NANGARHAR PROVINCE, AF |
| Hometown: | BROWNSVILLE, TX, US |
| Hometown: | DANFORTH, ME, US |
| Hometown: | GREELEY, CO, US |
| Hometown: | PEMBROKE, MA, US |
| Hometown: | TOPEKA, KS, US |
| Hometown: | WATERFORD, MI, US |
| Web Views: | 424 |
| Downloads: | 3 |
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