FORT MCCOY, Wis. - Staff Sgt. Kathleen Briere, an instructor for the Human Intelligence Collector course at Fort Devens, Mass., is representing the 98th Military Intelligence Battalion at the 2013 Army Reserve Best Warrior Competition at Fort McCoy, Wis.
Briere, a native of Lowell, Mass., says she does not see herself as just a female, she sees herself as a soldier who is here to do the best she can during this week in this phenomenal and unique experience. Win or lose she feels she did well and represented the U.S. Army Reserve.
“Being a soldier can be a physically and mentally challenging profession,” Briere said. “We must maintain a high level of proficiency in our warrior tasks and drills in order to always be combat and mission ready.”
Being an eight-year veteran of the Army Reserve and deployed twice, Briere would like to become a warrant officer, attend language school and continue on to get operational experience.
“It is a huge credit for me to be able to be part of an organization like this, it has done a lot for me as an individual and as a mother,” Briere said. “It has really been a gift.”
She says she will be encouraging her soldiers and everyone she talks to, to get involved in these competitions because they are great for personal and professional development as well as a persons commitment to the military.
“Commitment is not just deployments, it begins with the oath of enlistment,” Briere said.
Briere said she would definitely compete again or would be honored to be a sponsor to a soldier who wanted to compete.
“Huge respect should be given to my sponsor because without him I would not have done as well as I have,” Briere said.
“I don’t think I have ever had a greater experience in the military, every event is difficult and challenging,” she said. “I am proud of myself and everyone else that is here, I am going to walk away from this with a great sense of accomplishment.”