Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Sierra A. Melendez | Staff Sgt. Chase B. Johnson, McDonald Army Health Center located in Fort Eustis,...... read more read more
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The Regional Health Command – Atlantic, U.S. Army Medical Department Activity, conducted the 2018 Best Warrior Competition in order to determine the RHC-A noncommissioned officer and Soldier of the year on Fort Stewart, Georgia, March 25-28.
The competition, which was comprised of Army enlisted medical personnel who perform their assigned duties in medical treatment facilities, is held annually at different installations across the region’s area of operation. This year, Fort Stewart’s Winn Army Community Hospital hosted the event.
“This competition involves Soldiers from every Army medical facility east of the Mississippi River,” said Col. Christopher H. Warner, commander, U.S. Army Medical Activity-Fort Stewart. “These Soldiers faced off against each other to determine who is the best of the best.”
During the competition, competitors were tested for their aptitude through boards, interviews, physical fitness tests, written exams, urban warfare simulations and other Soldier tasks and drills relevant to the Army’s operating environment.
A total of 15 NCOs and 15 Soldiers from 13 different installations faced-off in the arduous four-day event which consisted of various demanding events such as a stress shoot, obstacle course, land navigation, trauma lanes and a 12-mile ruck march.
“Between the physical challenges and mental challenges - we’re talking 16 to 18 hour days – grueling physical competition and then asking them to remember difficult mental skills to test them to recreate what we would expect them to be able to do in a combat environment,” said Warner.
The unpredictable weather pattern southeastern Georgia is well-known for added an extra twist to the already exhausting competition.
“We used the environmental variables to tax them,” said Warner. “If I’m accustomed to training at Fort Drum, New York, I may not be ready for the heat or these swamps. Especially at Fort Stewart’s land navigation course. Depending on the weather it can go from finding points in dry land to walking through several feet of water.”
Command Sgt. Maj. Carol L. Warren-Clark, command sergeant major of U.S. Army Medical Activity-Fort Stewart, emphasized the idea that the competition promotes esprit de corps and more importantly, provides a training opportunity some participants don’t often get.
“Our Soldiers assigned to the Medical Command typically work in a patient care setting, where as our medics assigned to Forces Command are out there with their units, Soldiers and equipment,” said Warren-Clark. “Often times while working in a medical facility, our Soldiers do not get exposed to some aspects of the operational Army such as ranges, road marches or field training exercises. This competition gives them that exposure.”
In the end, Staff Sgt. Chase B. Johnson, McDonald Army Health Center located in Fort Eustis, Virginia and Spc. Cody L. Shedd from Lyster Army Health Clinic in Fort Rucker, Alabama were crowned the RHC-A Soldiers and NCO of the year.
They will advance to represent the regional command during the Department of the Army Medical Command’s Best Warrior Competition in Fort Sam Houston, Texas this summer.
Johnson praised MEDDAC Fort Stewart for the incredible and real-world elements of the competition they included. Additionally, he thanked the competitors who remaining “in the suck” with him throughout the early, demanding mornings and late, strenuous nights.
“This competition was a marathon,” said Johnson. “We were competing, but somehow also a team throughout the entire event. It was fantastic.”
| Date Taken: | 03.28.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 04.03.2018 10:47 |
| Story ID: | 271610 |
| Location: | FORT STEWART, GA, US |
| Hometown: | FORT EUSTIS, VA, US |
| Hometown: | FORT NOVOSEL, AL, US |
| Hometown: | HINESVILLE, GA, US |
| Hometown: | HUNTSVILLE, AL, US |
| Hometown: | SAVANNAH, GA, US |
| Web Views: | 107 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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