Photo By Terrance Bell | Spc. David Obray of the U.S. Army Reserve Command function checks a .50 caliber...... read more read more
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FORT LEE, Va. - They’ve prepared nearly a year for the competition, having gained experience competing from the company to the major command level.
They’ve run enough miles to double their normal physical training output.
They’ve studied the details of the various Warrior Tasks and Battle Drills over and over.
On the eve of the 13th Department of the Army Soldier and Noncommissioned Officer of the Year Competition scheduled here, those factors and more will affect the outcome of the Army’s annual Soldier skills showcase.
The competition, commonly known as Best Warrior, kicks off Oct. 6 and will feature 28 contestants – evenly divided between Soldiers and NCOs from the Army’s major commands who will display their talents and skills in several tactical and administrative events over a three-day period.
“Soldiers can expect a rigorous and fast-paced competition that will not only challenge their skill level but their perseverance and fortitude as well,” said Sgt. Maj. Donna King, CASCOM G3 sergeant major and coordinator for the event.
In the past, events have included the Army Physical Fitness Test, a board appearance in front of the Army’s senior NCO leadership to include the Sergeant Major of the Army, an essay and a varied list of Warrior Tasks and Battle Drills that will test their wartime survival skills.
This year, as in years past, the actual list of WTBDs and how they will be presented to the contestants has not been disclosed. As a result, Soldiers must prepare themselves without favor to any one task.
Uncertainty also surrounds the participants as well. The competitors typically don’t know each other prior to the competition and thereby can’t study their strengths or weaknesses. Even if they did, it would be of little value. Contestants are scored secretly during the events, a practice that downplays head-to-head battles and emphasizes individual achievement.
Master Sgt. Jason Alexander, the 2006 NCO winner who represented the U.S. Army Forces Command, said those who make it to Best Warrior are on average well-studied and physically fit. The deciding factors are the intangibles such as confidence and determination. They became a part of a competition mindset that would help him perform at the highest level.
“I had the confidence to not be worried about winning or losing but just trying to do my best and realizing that I wasn’t going to do some of those tasks better than other people,” said the Soldier now assigned to the Northern Regional Medical Command based at Fort Belvoir.
Consistent focus also was part of Alexander’s strategy. He recalled that some competitors had expectations that were unrealistic, and when they failed to meet their own performance objectives, they could not sufficiently gather themselves to fully recover.
“You kind of see other people mentally check out,” said the health care specialist. “They don’t do the tasks very well and it mentally destroys them. You can see it happen when you kind of step back and take yourself out of it and don’t allow the other competitors to influence you; focus on the task, focus on the day, get through the day and take it upon yourself in the evening when you only get two or three hours of sleep to prepare for the next day.”
As a Best Warrior winner, Alexander said he was often charged with organizing Soldier skills competitions at various levels. He said from his perspectives as a competitor and organizer, it is critical to be consistent throughout the competition.
“When I talk to Soldiers today about competing, I talk about the Band of Excellence,” he said. “I grew up in an armor battalion, and the training manuals always talked about the Band of Excellence. The point is to keep a high level of excellence all the time. How do you stay within the band – you do some things well and other things not so well, but if you can maintain a consistency of about 90 percent on all the tasks, then you’re going to come out on top.”
Alexander said if he could offer this year’s contestants some advice, it would be to know their abilities, don’t engage in second-guessing and simply put forth the maximum amount of effort.
“They should sit back in confidence and realize they did all the work they could do to get where they are and put their best foot forward,” he said.
| Date Taken: | 10.02.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 10.02.2014 09:09 |
| Story ID: | 144006 |
| Location: | FORT LEE, VA, US |
| Web Views: | 79 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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