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    Sky Soldier medics compete for top spot

    Sky Soldier medics compete for top spot

    Photo By Sgt. A.M. LaVey | An airborne medic with the 173rd Airborne Brigade tests his pistol marksmanship at the...... read more read more

    VICENZA, ITALY

    10.03.2014

    Story by Sgt. A.M. LaVey 

    173rd Airborne Brigade

    VICENZA, Italy - Twelve paratroopers from across the 173rd Airborne Brigade converged at Caserma Del Din for a brigade-level Best Medic Competition, held here Oct. 1 through 3.

    The three-day event tested the paratrooper medics with a variety of Soldier tasks such as the Army physical fitness test, a 20-km road march, land navigation; as well as medical tasks such as extracting a Soldier from a tactical vehicle, preparing a landing zone for aero-medical evacuation and battlefield venipuncture.

    “We are trying to create physically demanding stressful conditions for our medics so that they can demonstrate their skills under pressure,” said Sgt. 1st Class Anthony Horsman, the 173rd Airborne Brigade’s Medical Operations noncommissioned officer in charge.

    The paratroopers, a mix of healthcare specialists and ancillary medical specialists, were volunteers who already distinguished themselves among their peers by earning the U.S. Army Expert Field Medical Badge or the Combat Medical Badges – prerequisites for the competition.

    Spc. Nicholas Villar, a medical laboratory specialist with Company C, 173rd Airborne Brigade Support Battalion, recently earned his EFMB, and credits the training for helping him to win first place in the brigade’s Best Medic Competition.

    “The EFMB testing prepared me well and this event used the same standards - it was great training, testing my mental and physical capabilities,” said Villar. “It also helped me challenge myself to see how much more I can expect from myself.”

    Villar not only recently earned his EFMB, but also competed in the brigade’s Sky Soldier Competition in July, which was open to all military occupational specialties in the brigade – but he still had some challenges.

    “The most challenging part of any competition is staying mentally focused,” said Villar. “These three days of constant movement and a lot of physical activity tested [my] mental capacity quite a lot.”

    The participants, two from each of the brigade’s six battalions and squadron, were recommended by their leadership to represent the unit at the brigade level.

    “It says a lot about you that your units sent you to this competition,” said Lt. Col. Eric A. Baus, deputy commander, 173rd Airborne Brigade, to the assembled troops during the final ceremony. “They picked you because you were the best – and that should be an incredible sense of pride for you.”

    Personal and unit pride are just some of the reasons why the paratroopers volunteered for this competition – proving their skills to others and themselves is another.

    “They aren’t doing it for a trophy – they’re doing it because it will make them better leaders,” said Baus.

    Villar agreed.

    “When we get higher in rank, this important competition will allow us to better teach our Soldiers these sort of tasks, whether it be firing weapons or physical fitness,” he said.

    Though Villar placed first, the scores for second place were so close that the brigade command team will decide who his teammate at the Army-level competition will be, after scrutinizing scores of the paratroopers who placed second through fourth.

    The brigade won’t send paratroopers who are just going for a free ticket to Texas, said Command Sgt. Maj. Richard R. Clark, the brigade’s senior enlisted leader. “We aren’t going just to participate; we are going there to win.”

    The two-man team will train full-time for the competition and then will represent the brigade at the U.S. Army-level competition scheduled to be held at the U.S. Army Medical Department Center and School, Fort Sam Houston, Texas, Nov. 5-7.

    The 173rd Airborne is the Army Contingency Response Force in Europe, capable of projecting forces to conduct the full range of military operation across the U.S., European, Central and Africa Command areas of responsibility.

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    NEWS INFO

    Date Taken: 10.03.2014
    Date Posted: 10.06.2014 05:16
    Story ID: 144345
    Location: VICENZA, IT
    Hometown: GERING, NE, US

    Web Views: 359
    Downloads: 1

    PUBLIC DOMAIN