JBLM Soldier claims ACC Best Warrior Competition

Photo By Daniel P. Elkins | Spec. David Dorfman maneuvers the Low Crawl Pit of the obstacle course June 7 at Joint Base San Antonio-Camp Bullis, Texas, as part of the 2016 Army Contracting Command Best Warrior Competition. The competition consisted of a series of events over four days testing the mental and physical agility of 10 Soldiers. Dorfman is assigned to the 389th Army Band at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama. (U.S. Army photo/Daniel P. Elkins)  

CAMP BULLIS, TX, UNITED STATES

06.16.2016

Story by Daniel P. Elkins 

Joint Base San Antonio

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-CAMP BULLIS, Texas -- (June 16, 2016) A Soldier from Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, earned honors as the U.S. Army Contracting Command Best Warrior and Non-Commissioned Officer of the Year following four days of competition here June 7-10.

Command Sgt. Maj. Jose Castillo, the ACC command sergeant major, named Sgt. 1st Class Patrick Scheu, a contract specialist from the Mission and Installation Contracting Command's 902nd Contracting Battalion, the competition winner June 10. Fellow MICC member Staff Sgt. Reginald Alexander from the 901st CBN at Fort Hood, Texas, was the runner-up.

"The Army sometimes doesn't require us to be the biggest, fastest or strongest, but this event does," Castillo said of the drive, energy, motivation and attitude he witnessed throughout the week. "It's a lot of heart and determination. It's about character, competence and commitment. This competition truly represents the best of the best from throughout ACC."

Scheu and Alexander were among eight Soldiers from throughout ACC and two members of the Army Materiel Command Band competing in a series of events aimed at challenging their physical and mental resilience last week. Also competing were Sgt. 1st Class Shannon Booker, 414th Contracting Support Brigade; Staff Sgt. Kevin Brown, 928th CBN; Spec. David Dorfman, 389th Army Band; Staff Sgt. Carlos Espada, 618th Contracting Team; Staff Sgt. Jonathan Lehman, ACC Headquarters; Sgt. Mara Manning, 389th Army Band; Staff Sgt. Gregory Nelson, 410th CSB; and Staff Sgt. Tamika Williams, 602nd CT.

Scheu, who had already be named the MICC Best Warrior and NCO of the Year May 6, will now go on to represent Army Contracting Command at the AMC competition July 11-15 at Camp Atterbury, Indiana.

The competition included the Army Physical Fitness Test, a 12-mile road march, warrior tasks and battle drills, an obstacle course, day and night land navigation, and a selection board.

Scheu finished ahead of all competitors in the road march, which required the Soldiers to carry a 35-pound pack, bettering his time from the month before by about two minutes. He said the toll of the march began to take is effect at about the 9-mile mark.

"For some people, it's the lower back, but I've had knee damage, so for me it's definitely the knees," he said, adding that the route of both hard and rugged surfaces seemed predominantly uphill, "but it's dark so it could have just been playing tricks on me."

With 37 training sites and 20 live fire ranges, JBSA-Camp Bullis offered exceptional training support, according to Command Sgt. Maj. Jerry Charles, command sergeant major for the 412th CSB at JBSA-Fort Sam Houston who led preparations for the competition.

"Camp Bullis was ideal for the ACC Best Warrior Competition as it provided life support facilities and training areas that enabled the command to assess the competitors' warrior ethos and Army aptitude in realistic conditions that replicate today's operational environments," Charles said.

He added that the competition also provided a great training experience for cadre members and the Soldiers' sponsors.

"Cadre support and professionalism were essential in evaluating the competitors' performance and supervising the events."

Over the course of the week, Soldiers also sharpened their skills in such tasks as setting up a radio, programming a frequency, performing function and safety checks on weapons, conducting briefings, reacting to direct fire and nuclear, biological and chemical attacks, identifying unexploded ordnance, and treating casualties.

"As a basic Soldier, you have to be able to shoot, move and communicate. I think it's very important for these individuals to do this," said Command Sgt. Maj. Bernard Smalls, command sergeant major for the Expeditionary Contracting Command at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama. "You must be ready at any moment's notice to deploy … to provide that contracting service wherever globally."

Command Sgt. Maj. Tomeka O'Neal, the MICC command sergeant major, agreed that such Soldier skills are foundational in defining the Army Profession.

"You've got to get non-commissioned officers and Soldiers to think outside of their technical specialty," she said. "When you talk about a best warrior competition, you're talking about the best of the best at all training aspects, tactical and operational. The Army requires that we maintain our warrior tasks and battle drill … for proficiency, efficiency and effectiveness. We are warfighters (and) Soldiers first."

Headquartered at Redstone Arsenal, ACC is responsible for delivering contracting solutions in support of the Army and unified land operations. It consists of six major contracting centers and two subordinate commands, the MICC and ECC.

• Date Taken: 06.16.2016
• Date Posted: 01.09.2017 16:11
• Story ID: 219724
• Location: CAMP BULLIS, TX, US