Competing to be Europe's Best Warrior

GRAFENWOEHR, GERMANY

08.17.2018

Story by Sgt. Benjamin Northcutt 

21st Theater Sustainment Command

After six grueling days August 17, 2018 marked the end of the competition with an award ceremony at the Grafenwoehr Gym where family, friends, and sponsors of the competitors learned who the Best Warriors were.
This year's winners of the 2018 U.S. Army Europe Best Warrior Competition are, 1st Lt. Robert Martin, assigned to 7th Army Training Command, Staff Sgt. Cesar Gonzalez, assigned to 7th Army Training Command, Spc. Jacob Root, assigned to 173rd Brigade Combat Team.
At the beginning of the competition Command Sgt. Maj. Robert Abernethy, the senior enlisted non-commissioned officer for U.S. Army Europe Command, gave words of wisdom and explained what this competition was really about.
Soldiers need to be fit and ready to fight and win, explained Abernethy. Soldiers are there to compete and win, but also to get to know one another and about the units they are coming from. Moreover, each competitor needs not to be just fit physically, but also have mental and social fitness, he continued. The Army is about readiness, and this type of competition is designed to test our Soldiers on their readiness to complete basic Soldier tasks, but also to find out who is the best amongst us in our formations.
The competition had 20 different events all testing Soldiers on basic tasks such as weapons, uniform wear and appearance, modified Army Physical Fitness Test, land navigation, Tactical Combat Casualty Care, oral presentation, written exam, ruck march, and mystery events.
"Having a variety of competitive events helped drive each competitor to push themselves and each other," said Martin. "For me, that first day was the toughest. We were up early and by the end of the day had already put quite a few miles on our feet to find out we had a six-mile ruck to finish off the day."
The long days and early mornings tested the competitors both physically and mentally throughout the events.
The toughest day was the last day according to Root. Getting out of bed that morning to get up for the 12-mile ruck march was a challenge, and if someone had not flicked the lights on and off he wouldn't have made it to the ruck, he said.
"The most challenging event for me was the oral boards," said Gonzalez. "I get nervous being assessed and tested on knowledge in that one-on-one environment with command sergeants major."
Hard work and dedication paid off in the end, and at the end of the events, all of the competitors have set the example for others to follow. Gonzalez and Root will continue to the Department of the Army Best Warrior Competition later this year in A.P. Hill, Virginia where they will represent Europe as the top junior enlisted and non-commissioned officer.
Through physical tasks, long days, and competing against one another, the 21 competitors have promoted espirit de corps and camaraderie, which has set the example for others to follow.

• Date Taken: 08.17.2018
• Date Posted: 08.20.2018 11:40
• Story ID: 289470
• Location: GRAFENWOEHR, DE