Competition builds unity among soldiers

Photo By Spc. Jaqueline Benton | Sgt. Jamie Cummings and Spc. Lewis Rolband, forward observers with Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 1st Battalion, 113th Field Artillery, 30th Armored Brigade Combat Team, race to the finish line during the six-mile ruck march of the brigade’s Best Warrior Competition Jan. 11, 2014 at Fort Bragg, N.C. The winners of the competition are scheduled to represent the 30th Armored Brigade Combat Team in the North Carolina National Guard Best Warrior Competition. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Spc. Jaqueline Benton, 30th Armored Brigade Combat Team, NCNG)  

FORT BRAGG, NC, UNITED STATES

03.05.2014

Story by Spc. Jaqueline Benton 

30th Armored Brigade Combat Team

FORT BRAGG, N.C. - Seven soldiers competed in the 30th Armored Brigade Combat Team Best Warrior Competition, Jan. 10 - 12, 2014, at the North Carolina Military Academy, Fort Bragg, N.C. The competition was held to select one non-commissioned officer and one junior enlisted soldier to represent the brigade at the North Carolina Army National Guard Best Warrior Competition, which is scheduled to be held at Camp Butner in March 2014.

Soldiers competed by assembling and disassembling weapons, completing an Army physical fitness test, demonstrating warrior tasks and drills, simulating a call-for-fire, evaluating land navigation objectives, rucking a six-mile-road march, and answering military based questions in front of an interview board.

Despite the nature of competition, the soldiers chose to work together to help refresh each other on the various tasks they would be doing.

“Individuals have a tendency to compete and think that everyone is against each other,” said Sgt. Jamie Cummings, a forward observer with Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 1st Battalion, 113th Field Artillery. “However, it seems that whenever we’re part of an organization such as the National Guard, we know that we’re on the same team.”

Soldiers said they enjoyed the camaraderie and liked getting to meet soldiers from other battalions within the brigade.

“It was nice to come out here and take part in the competition,” said Spc. Lewis Rolband, a forward observer with HHB, 1-113th FA. “Especially with a bunch of guys from different battalions that otherwise wouldn’t have the opportunity to work together.”

Rolband won the junior enlisted category. Other junior enlisted competitors were Pfc. Daniel Ramirez, a combat engineer with Charlie Company, 30th Special Troops Battalion; Spc. Daniel Luengas, a cavalry scout with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 252nd Armor Regiment; and Spc. Tinisha Mellein, a public affairs specialist with Alpha Company, 230th Brigade Support Battalion.

Cummings won the noncommissioned officer category. Other noncommissioned officers were Sgt. Joshua Williams, a combat engineer with Charlie Company, 30th Special Troops Battalion; Sgt. William Shafer an infantryman with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 120th Infantry Regiment.

“I think in the three days we had here that there was an actual unity formed,” Cummings said. “We will have friendships when we leave here.”

• Date Taken: 03.05.2014
• Date Posted: 03.05.2014 02:14
• Story ID: 121514
• Location: FORT BRAGG, NC, US