Photo By Staff Sgt. William Gillespie | Sgt. 1st Class Aaron Butler finalizes details prior to the 2016 U.S. Army Reserve Best...... read more read more
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FORT BRAGG, N.C. – Most young adults under 30 are still trying to find their niche in life. One Soldier with the Army Reserve Medical Command has not only found his path, but he is leaving a permanent mark on the U.S. Army Reserve Command. Sgt. 1st Class Aaron Butler has accomplished more than most 40-year-olds, and has left an impression on his leadership, as well as those who serve under him.
Butler, a medical logistics specialist from Three Forks, Montana, with the 7407th Troop Medical Clinic, transitioned from competitor and winner at age 22 to planner and facilitator at 28. Additionally, he has earned multiple tabs, including the Expert Field Medical Badge, Pathfinder, Air Assault and Airborne.
“It’s highly unlikely I would have gained those opportunities if I hadn’t reached for the stars,” he said.
“In another month I won’t be able to say I’m 28 and been to 28 countries,” he said. In between traveling around the world performing missions for the U.S. Army Reserve since he was 17, Butler completed his bachelor’s degree in Environmental Biology and wants to attend graduate school soon, he said.
“I learned how to push through the pain, fatigue, and overwhelming odds of a situation to achieve the mission at hand,” said Butler. “It’s all in your head. Your body will keep up with whatever your mind decides you’re able to do.
“The selection process for selecting the NCOIC that will plan and rehearse the BWC is extensive,” said Sgt. Maj. Paul J. Klikas, sergeant major of training U.S. Army Reserve Command. “He is the right man for the job because his record displayed capabilities that I was looking for.”
Working closely with his BWC planning counterpart, Sgt. 1st Class Casey Martin, they prepared and coordinated an event that has culminated into a week of long days and short nights for 40 Soldiers competing in the 2016 Annual Best Warrior Competition from across the U.S. Army Reserve Command.
Butler and Martin, a senior drill sergeant from Mount Airy, North Carolina, have spent many hours together planning the BWC, which begins May 2.
Butler isn’t selfish with knowledge, either. He brought his experiences back to his unit to better the command as a whole.
“After my experience of representing our command in the BWC, I went back to my unit and sponsored the next NCO to represent our command,” he said.
“All told, the Army Reserve Medical Command noncommissioned officer of the year in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2015 all came from my company,” he said. “That all started with Sgt. 1st Class Joe Degel, who was the 2007 ARMEDCOM NCO of the year.”
Each NCO of the year has followed in his footsteps and trained the subsequent winner each year after his victory in 2009, three consecutive times.
“Success breeds success, but only if those skills and experiences are shared,” he said. “We shared all we could with each other and the rest of our unit, and as a result, we all became better Soldiers.”
After competing in the BWC, he incorporated competitive events into monthly battle assembly training schedules. “Soldiers love competition and when you can turn a training opportunity into a game, you’ll often get better participation out of everyone,” he said.
ARMEDCOM’s commanding general sent a letter to the 4225th U.S. Army Hospital officially naming them as the “best in the command” for their representation of the command at the U.S. Army Reserve Best Warrior Competition five out of the last seven years.
This year’s BWC was tailored so the point scale is evenly distributed among the five Soldier skill categories of Shoot, Move, Communicate, Survive, and Adapt. “This competition is intentionally designed to favor the well-rounded Soldier, a trait which is the hallmark of a Best Warrior,” said Butler.
“We have received a lot of support from the NCO Academy here. Also bringing in experts from throughout the U.S. Army Reserve has helped to run the event. Coordinating all those assets took a lot of emails and conference calls – just a lot of communication to get us to the point of where we are today,” Butler said.
“Working as the staff operations and training specialist for the 4225th USAH in Helena, Montana, has helped me build my organizational and planning skills which I used to aide immensely in the organizing of the USAR BWC,” he said.
The Soldier tasked with coordinating the 2016 BWC is just as unique as the Warriors who will compete for the ultimate victory in the U.S. Army Reserve. “It’s important to stay balanced, he said. “I enjoy reading as much as watching movies, hot tea as much as beer, and ballets as much as rock concerts.”
Giving up isn’t an option for Butler, he said. Perseverance and the will to take a risk has been an integral part of his success, he said.
“Do it. You’ll never know what it takes if you don’t try,” Butler said.
| Date Taken: | 05.01.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 05.01.2016 21:50 |
| Story ID: | 197007 |
| Location: | FORT BRAGG, NC, US |
| Hometown: | HELENA, MT, US |
| Web Views: | 545 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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