Sustainers Compete for Top NCO, Soldier

Photo By Rob Strain | Sgt. Darell Parker, a fueler with the 530th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, fires the M16 rifle during the weapon qualification event of the 3rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary)’s NCO and Soldier of the Year competition April 20. The competitors were required to take a rifle they had never used, zero it and qualify to Army standards.  

FORT KNOX, KY, UNITED STATES

04.21.2011

Story by Staff Sgt. Rob Strain 

3rd Expeditionary Sustainment Command

FORT KNOX, Ky. – Eleven soldiers and non-commissioned officers from across the 3d Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) competed for the NCO and Soldier of the Year title during a competition here, April 18-21.

The competition was a compilation of multiple events, including an Army Physical Fitness Test, a board, land navigation, a mystery event, M16 rifle qualification and a selection of Warrior Tasks, designed to test the competitors on their military knowledge and basic soldier skills, said Command Sgt. Maj. Willie Tennant, the 3d ESC’s senior non-commissioned officer.

Sgt. Bryan Cyr, a mechanic with the 149th Seaport Operations Company, 10th Transportation Battalion, 7th Sustainment Brigade, was selected as the command’s best NCO and Spc. Brandon Laspe, a diver with the 74th Engineer Dive Team, Special Troops Battalion, 7th Sus. Bde., was selected as the best Soldier.

Both Cyr and Laspe are scheduled to compete in the XVIII Airborne Corps NCO and Soldier of the Year competition in June, Tennant said.

Going into the competition, Cyr said he was going to give it his all.

“I feel great,” Cyr said. “I can’t wait to see what they throw at us.”

At the start of the competition, Cyr looked forward to the land navigation portion, since he felt it was his strongest event.

At the end of the week, however, his favorite test was the mystery event, which included a four-mile ruck march, hand-to-hand combat, search of a detainee and recover remains, because it was so realistic.

“You’re going to be tired, you’re going to be drained, but you’re going to have to fight,” Cyr said.

For Laspe, the mystery event was an extreme challenge, but in the end, he was able to overcome the challenge.

The Warrior Tasks were the hardest part of the competition for Laspe, and it came down to actually knowing the tasks.

“I was so drained,” Laspe said. “Either you know it or you don’t.”

• Date Taken: 04.21.2011
• Date Posted: 04.26.2011 11:17
• Story ID: 69362
• Location: FORT KNOX, KY, US