Photo By Staff Sgt. Eric Jensen | From left to right, "Best Warrior" winners Sgt. Thomas Hansen, a member of 141st...... read more read more
CAMP GRAFTON TRAINING CENTER, N.D. - The North Dakota Army National Guard’s 2011 Best Warrior Competition came to a close Sunday after 11 Guardsmen from across the state tested their Soldiering skills during three days worth of military events at Camp Grafton Training Center, Devils Lake, N.D., Sept. 16-18.
Sgt. Thomas Hansen, of Minot, N.D., a member of 141st Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, was the winner of the state-level Best Warrior Competition in the non-commissioned officer category. In the enlisted-level competition, Spc. Daniel Carpenter, of Fargo, N.D., a member of the 231st Brigade Support Battalion, took top honors.
Soldiers representing their units must first win in their respective major commands in order to vie for the “Best Warrior” title during the state-level competition. Command Sgt. Maj. Gerald Miller, North Dakota National Guard state command sergeant major, said that reaching that benchmark alone is a significant accomplishment for the competitors.
“No matter what the outcome is this afternoon, you’re all winners,” Miller told the soldiers before naming the victors at the competition. “You’ve made it to the pinnacle of your battalion or your major command. And guess what? You can always come back and compete later on.”
The competition presents an extensive list of challenges. Guardsmen begin the weekend by taking an Army Physical Fitness Test in the early hours of the morning. This year, they contended with cold temperatures and gusting winds creating a difficult run along the shore of Devils Lake.
Hansen, who competed at the state level last year, said his experiences helped him prepare for the competition. Despite the less than ideal weather, he was ready to contend with Camp Grafton’s training environment.
“The thing about weather is that it affects everyone,” he said. “The people who can drive on are the ones who are going to make it.”
Later in the morning, soldiers studied their Army Soldier Board Study Guides to prepare themselves to face a board of sergeants major who confront them with a barrage of military knowledge questions. Some of the competitors used technology on their smartphones to download study applications for quick referencing. They were further quizzed with a written test covering 50 questions on more military-related topics and a 500-word military essay.
The competition continues with a land navigation course during daylight and nighttime hours, as well as marksmanship, Warrior Tasks (general military skills all soldiers must know) and a Modern Army Combatives tournament that tests the soldiers’ ground fighting capabilities.
The winners will now prepare for the regional competition in June 2012. The soldiers will go up against Guardsmen from seven other states: Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, South Dakota, Washington and Wyoming. Regional winners go on to compete in the All-Guard Competition and, if they win there, they compete in the All-Army Competition.
“I’m really looking forward to preparing [for the next level of competition],” Hansen said. “Nothing hurts more than not knowing the answers to some of these questions. Now, I have time to figure out those answers before the regional competition.”
Should the winners not be able to compete, they will be replaced by the runners-up from the state competition. This year, Sgt. Kenneth Loepp, of Fargo, with the 231st Brigade Support Battalion, was the runner-up in the non-commissioned officer category. Spc. Jacob Knain, of Rugby, with the 957th Engineer Company, took the runner-up position at the enlisted level.
The North Dakota Army National Guard has achieved monumental success in the regional competitions in the past. This summer, Spc. Ryan Lindberg, of Fargo, and a member of the 817th Engineer Company (Sapper), based out of Jamestown, was the winner of the Region VI Best Warrior Competition in the enlisted category. Additionally, Sgt. Joel Erickson, of West Fargo, and a member of Detachment 1, 188th Engineer Company (Vertical), based out of Oakes, took top honors in the non-commissioned officer category.
Lindberg further won in the All-Guard competition in Fort Benning, Ga., in July. He will compete in the All-Army competition in October.
| Date Taken: | 09.18.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 09.19.2011 12:22 |
| Story ID: | 77259 |
| Location: | CAMP GRAFTON, ND, US |
| Web Views: | 110 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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