Photo By Sgt. Evan Myers | Region IV soldier of the year Specialist Garret R. Rigel of the Indiana National...... read more read more
Story by Spc. Evan Myers, 120th PAD
CAMP ATTERBURY, Ind. - Thirteen National Guardsman from across the Midwest met to compete in the 2015 Best Warrior Competition at Camp Atterbury, Ind. May 11-14. Soldiers from each state in Region IV--Minnesota, Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Wisconsin, and Iowa—gathered together for a three day event in which each representative faced off against other competitors in several different challenges which tested each Soldiers’ skill, endurance and mental fortitude.
The Best Warrior Competition takes place within all components of the U.S. Army, including Active Duty, National Guard, and the Army Reserves. According to Command Sgt. Maj. Tyson Johnston of the Recruiting Retention Battalion of the state of Indiana, a non-commissioned officer in charge of orchestrating the event, this competition is an excellent opportunity for the Midwest’s finest soldiers to prove themselves.
“This is important to the Army. What it does, is it finds the best and brightest warriors that we can find within our ranks, from every level of the organization. Maybe they don’t win each competition, but we identify the strong, physically and mentally; the ones who want to win,” Johnston said.
Two Guardsmen are selected from each state to participate in Best Warrior: one junior-enlisted soldier, and one NCO. After being nominated to compete by their individual units, these soldiers were the top contenders in their home state before attending Region IV’s Best Warrior challenge. The Guardsmen spent weeks training for the competition, which requires both a well-rounded knowledge of basic soldier skills and a great deal of physical stamina. First Sergeant Greg Swanson of the 387th Military Police Company in New Albany, Ind., assisted in collecting the guardsmen’s scores for the individual events and helped with other administrative tasks. Swanson was a competitor himself in the Best Warrior Competition five years ago.
“Obviously physical fitness in general is going to be a high priority,” Swanson said. “But also, there is a mental side of it. Because of appearance boards, the essay, and things like that, you have to be sharp of mind.”
The competing soldiers were tested and scored on numerous events, among them an Army Physical Fitness Test, individual weapons qualifications, completing land navigation exercises, an obstacle course, a drill and ceremony event, a written essay, and finally a twelve-mile road march carrying a minimum of a rifle and a 35 pound ruck sack. National Guard Soldiers who wish to participate in Best Warrior must train constantly both on and off duty if they wish to excel in the assigned tasks.
“I trained hard with my unit, and I had my brother training me in the physical part of it,” said Pfc. Mark A. Horton of the Ohio National Guard. “I did a lot of studying; I have good leadership at my company. Sergeants and my first sergeant in my unit were making sure to cover a lot of different things to train and study.”
After the cumulative scores from each event were tallied up, the two victors of the Region IV competition were both Indiana Guardsmen. Spc. Garret R. Rigel of the 138th Quartermaster battalion was the winner of Region IV’s Soldier of the Year award.
“What really made me decide to go for soldier of the year was when my squad leader nominated me last year, but I was in the middle of a transfer,” Rigel said. “When I was re-nominated this year, I decided ‘why not give it the best that I can?’ So for the last year it’s been nothing but competing and having fun.”
Sgt. 1st Class Sam A. Wagner of the 38th Infantry Division was named Region IV’s NCO of the year. Wagner recalled one of the more challenging events of the competition being the “stress shot,” where the competitors had to complete a series of physical exercises before engaging close range targets with an M-4 rifle and an M-9 pistol.
“I was shaking a little from all the exertion…I missed a few with the pistol, but in good fashion I’m going to blame the pistol and not me,” Wagner said with a grin. “This was a good time, it was a good competition.”
Both Spc. Rigel and Sgt. 1st class Wagner will continue on to compete in the National Best Warrior competition in June, which will take place in Utah.
| Date Taken: | 05.14.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 05.15.2015 09:15 |
| Story ID: | 163409 |
| Location: | CAMP ATTERBURY, IN, US |
| Web Views: | 241 |
| Downloads: | 2 |
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