Engineers compete for the title best warrior

Photo By Staff Sgt. John C Garver | Spc. Sarah Carnello (left) won the 130th Engineer Brigade's Best Warrior, Soldier of the Year competition.  

SCHOFIELD BARRACKS, HI, UNITED STATES

04.22.2016

Courtesy Story

8th Theater Sustainment Command

Story and photos by 130th Engineer Brigade Public Affairs

SCHOFIELD BARRACKS, Hawaii – Six Non-Commissioned Officers and eight Soldiers from the 130th Engineer Brigade competed in their best warrior competition, April 18-22 - Hawaii here.

“The great thing about the best warrior competition is it’s the rare time when soldiers and Non-commissioned officers have the opportunity to compete against their peers giving them a real assessment of how they stack up against the best,” said Sgt. Major James Shuman, the 130th Engineer Brigade S3 Non-Commissioned Officer in Charge.

The grueling 5-day competition was kicked off by a 100 question test that challenged their basic military knowledge, like military history, land navigation and uniform code of military justice.

Day two of the competition came early with a 04:30 a.m wake up and Army Physical Fitness Test to get the day rolling. From there things would not slow down, throughout the day both the NCO’s and junior enlisted were tested on their land navigation abilities both in an urban and jungle like environment. They were also tested on maintaining their professionalism and military bearing when they appeared before the Command Sergeant Major’s board.

"As a Soldier when you recite the Soldiers Creed you are making a promise to your country that you will guard the American way of life,” said Private First Class Chelsey Palmer, 8th Special Troops Battalion.

Day three was perhaps the longest day of the competition. The competitors were tested on their ability to negotiate from one obstacle to another and qualified with an M-4 and M-9. They then moved into a stress shoot where each competitor had to run one quarter mile up a hill, flip a tire for twenty-five meters, carry two five gallon water cans in a zig zag manner for fifty feet, low crawl for twenty-five meters, then run to the firing line.

They were then tested on their ability to accurately place two controlled rounds into designated targets. With day three growing late into the evening the competitors where shuttled off to their mystery event, where they were tested on their abilities in combatives, room clearing, memorization, weapons reassembly and proper wear and appearance of the Army Service Uniform (ASU).

"The Best Warrior Competition has challenged me to be the best Soldier and Warrior I am capable of, and provided me with accelerated experience and knowledge to become the highest quality of a leader in today's Army," said SPC Sarah Carnello.

With three days of physically and mentally exhausting challenges the competitors moved into day four with only one obstacle standing between them and the finish line. They must successfully complete a twelve mile ruck march with a thirty-five pound rucksack within four hours. Although exhausted the excitement to be finished and sense of victory added the competitors in finishing their ruck march well under the allotted amount of time.

Sgt. Joshua Cipolla and Spc. Sarah Carnello will go on to compete at the 8th Theater Sustainment’s Best Warrior Challenge in May.

• Date Taken: 04.22.2016
• Date Posted: 04.29.2016 17:52
• Story ID: 196955
• Location: SCHOFIELD BARRACKS, HI, US