Noncommissioned Officers and Soldiers Compete For Top Honor

Photo By Sgt. Sharon Hinkle | Sgt. 1st Class Robert Crow, 1/305th Armor Battalion, and Spc. Robert McAbe, 2/346th Forward Support Battalion, 177th Armored Brigade, Camp Shelby Joint Forces Training Center, Camp Shelby, Miss., represent the best of the best as the winners of the 177th Noncommissioned Officer/Solider of the Quarter competition. The two-day event challenged nine Soldiers in events such as land navigation, M16 firing range, physical fitness, four mile road march, and buddy-team lifesaving skills. Each competitor was selected by their respective battalion leaders through a question and answer board. The winners received an Army Achievement Medal and recognition of holding the title of the top NCO and Soldier in the 177th.  

CAMP SHELBY, UNITED STATES

10.28.2009

Story by Sgt. Sharon Hinkle 

177th Armored Brigade

CAMP SHELBY, Miss. - Nominees for the 177th Armored Brigade, Camp Shelby Joint Forces Training Center, Camp Shelby, Miss., Noncommissioned Officer/Soldier of the Quarter competition began Oct. 28. The two-day competition consisted of several events to include a written test, an army physical fitness test, a land navigation course, M16 weapons qualification, a four-mile road march, buddy team lifesaving procedures under combat-like conditions, and a question and answer board in Class A uniform.

"The competition is designed to build competence in the NCO Corps of the brigade," said 1st Sgt. John Coleman, 2/346th Forward Support Battalion, 177th Armored Brigade, who attended the competition in support of the nominees.

According to Sgt. 1st Class Etharl Richards, 177th training section, the nominees are selected as the "Pride of the Battalion" by their respective sergeants major, using a question and answer board, after which their packets are submitted to the brigade sergeant major, Command Sgt. Maj. Rodney Harris, for review.

"The competition builds unit pride," said Master Sgt. Ty Bruenderman, 177th Armored Brigade operations sergeant major. "It (the competition) falls in line with the rest of the Army by eventually allowing our best Soldiers to possibly compete at the FORSCOM level."

Harris, with guidance from First Army, and with Bruenderman's assistance, devised the list of events, the manner in which the events would be executed, and the method of scoring. For simplicity each event was worth a possible 50 points and based on the enlisted promotions' system.

When asked if he felt the competition was a success, Bruenderman agreed it was.
"It is definitely a great training device," he said. "Win or lose, Soldiers will definitely take something from this. We will use the lessons learned here to prepare the board for the next quarter."

The highlight of the competition was the buddy team aid and litter station. This event is the newest addition to the contest. The event began immediately after the four mile road march at the Red Hill Mount Site on Camp Shelby.

"The idea of this lane is to simulate a combat-like situation by having the buddy team enter a building and provide immediate medical aid to injured Soldiers," said Sgt. 1st Class Tom Thompson, 2/346th Forward Support Battalion, and noncommissioned officer in charge of the training lane. "This is designed to throw the Soldier off mentally. We use smoke, speakers with very loud music and voices of hostile personnel, and grenade and artillery simulators."

As the buddy teams completed the lane, they were allowed to cool down and hydrate. Although tired from the day's events, they remained in good spirits.

"As a whole the competition is challenging and motivating," said Staff Sgt. Michelle Hutton, a competitor with the 1/305th Armored Task Force and the sole female in the contest. "This made me push myself to my physical and mental limits."

The winners of the competition were Sgt. 1st Class Robert Crowe, 1/305th Armored Task Force, and Spc. Robert McAbe, 2/346th Forward Support Battalion.

"I'm glad I participated," said McAbe. "It was definitely a learning experience for me. It (the competition) definitely challenged my endurance."

They each received the Army Achievement Medal and the acknowledgement from their superiors, peers and subordinates for achieving the honor of the top NCO and Soldier in the 177th Armored Brigade.

• Date Taken: 10.28.2009
• Date Posted: 11.23.2009 15:54
• Story ID: 41927
• Location: CAMP SHELBY, US