Courtesy Photo | As a part of the warrior tasks round robin competition during the Combined Task Force...... read more read more
By Army Capt. Ashley Dellavalle
Task Force Rugged Public Affairs Office
BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan – Well before dawn on March 28, non-commissioned officers and Soldiers participating in the Combined Task Force Rugged NCO and Soldier of the Year competition anxiously awaited the start of the first event, the Army Physical Fitness Test. As they stretched in the moonlight, the Soldiers anticipated two full days worth of competition, to include the APFT, weapons qualification, a barrage of warrior task tests, a written exam, and a formal board.
The participants of the event included NCOs and Soldiers who had previously won a CTF Rugged NCO or Soldier of the Quarter Board since March 2007, in addition to a nominee from each task force.
The Soldiers in the contest were from Headquarters and Headquarters Company, CTF Rugged, 36th Engineer Brigade, the 864th Engineer Battalion, TF Pacemaker, deployed from Fort Lewis, Wash., and the 70th Engineer Battalion, TF Kodiak, deployed from Fort Riley, Kan.
In spirit of competition, contestants pushed themselves hard on every event during the APFT, trying to gain even the slightest advantage over their competitors.
In the end, Sgt. Sandra Aguilar, an executive administrative assistant with HHC, 36th Engineer Brigade, completed the APFT with the highest score overall with 289 points. Spc. Sandra Seixeiro, of Task Force Pacemaker, "set the pace" on the APFT for the Soldiers, beating out the others with a score of 281 points.
By 8:30 a.m., the Soldiers were at the qualification range, zeroing their weapons and getting ready for the one-shot qualification. The conditions were fairly difficult because of the amount of dust created from rounds hitting the dirt; however, the competitors finished with a few stellar performances.
Sgt. Robert Goldhor, a Soldier in HHC, 36th Engineer Brigade, who was competing in the Soldier of the year category, proved to be an expert on weapons qualification, hitting 38 out of 40 targets. Staff Sgt. Phillip Windholz, 70th Engineer Battalion, qualified first for the NCOs, hitting 37 out of 40 targets.
By mid-morning on day one of the competition, participants had completed 2 of the 5 events, and were attempting to assess how they fell among their competition. Increasing the stress level slightly, the Soldier's scores on each event were not tallied up for the Soldiers to see.
During the warrior tasks round robin, the Soldiers were asked to conduct first aid, use a resection to find their location, call in a radio transmission and load an M240B machine gun. There was also a mystery task in the round robin. Soldiers had to properly execute hand and arm signals, while NCOs had to call in a medical evacuation. Goldhor once again dominated, while Winholz demonstrated proficiency.
After lunch, competitors headed to a quiet room for a 50-question multiple choice test on common Soldier knowledge. Aguilar led the pack, by missing just one of the 50 questions.
The next morning Wendy James, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 36th Engineer Brigade, impressed the six-panel Command Sergeant Major and Sergeant Major members of the formal board with her knowledge and professionalism. The board concluded the competition and weighed most heavily in the scoring process.
Tension was high throughout the competition but was definitely at a peak during the dinner final of night. After dinner, Command Sgt. Major Frank C. Busch, CTF Rugged, announced the winners in the presence of all of the TF commanders and command sergeants major. Goldhor took the crown as the CTF Rugged Soldier of the Year. Aguilar was the CTF Rugged NCO of the Year.
"The competition was great. I was not expecting to win. I am very proud of myself," said Aguilar.
"The breadth of the areas covered during the competition made this a great event. I am proud to be a part of an event like this," said Goldhor.
The winners received Association of the United States Army watches, a 50-dollar gift certificate from AAFES, a carved seahorse representing the 36th Engineer Brigade's mascot, as well as an Army Accommodation Medal.
| Date Taken: | 04.04.2008 |
| Date Posted: | 04.04.2008 23:06 |
| Story ID: | 18099 |
| Location: | BAGRAM AIR FIELD, AF |
| Web Views: | 317 |
| Downloads: | 229 |
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