Photo By Michelle Gonzalez | Spc. Taylor McGraw, Andrew Rader Army Health Clinic, completes an Army Warrior Task...... read more read more
Out of 167 enlisted Soldiers in the Fort George G. Meade’s Medical Department Activity, seven Soldiers competed in 12 events during the command’s 2020 Best Warrior Competition Feb. 26-28, 2020.
In the end, Sgt. Mitchell Trotter, Kimbrough Ambulatory Care Center’s preventive medicine NCOIC, and Spc. Fernando Avalos, from KACC command group, emerged as Fort Meade MEDDAC’s best noncommissioned officer and Soldier during a ceremony held Feb. 28, 2020.
“There are two words that come to mind: Determination and heart,” said the Fort Meade MEDDAC’s Command Sgt. Maj. Michael P. Morrill to competitors during the award ceremony. “With the heart that you showed, you have bright futures.”
The three-day competition challenged competitors mentally and physically in testing participants’ knowledge, skills and abilities.
Events included completing the Army’s new Combat Fitness Test, a written exam, a 100-meter water survival swim, a timed 8-mile road march, navigating an obstacle course, qualifying on an M4 Carbine, land navigation, an oral board interview, and proficiency at Army Warrior Tasks and battle drills relevant to today’s operational environment.
“I learned how to pace myself and help the junior enlisted as much as I can and spread the knowledge,” said Trotter about this year’s competition.
“It’s fun to go out and compete,” Trotter added. “I lost region last year so this year is a chance at redemption,” he said in reference to winning last year’s competition as the MEDDAC’s best Soldier of the year.
By contrast, the competition was Avalos’ first.
“It was tough and it challenged me in a lot of ways,” Avalos said. “My friends and I got to have fun while trying to beat each other,” referring to the camaraderie between competitors throughout the competition.
The top noncommissioned officer and junior enlisted Soldier will go on to represent Fort Meade MEDDAC at the Regional Health Command – Atlantic 2020 Best Warrior Competition in April that will ultimately produce an NCO and Soldier to compete in Medical Command’s competition.
During the ceremony, alternate winners were also named: Staff Sgt. Joseph Siwemuke from Dunham Army Health Clinic, and Spc. Taylor McGraw from Andrew Rader Army Health Clinic. Alternates hold an equally important role as they represent the organization in the regional competition if the winners are not able to compete.
The Fort Meade Medical Department Activity is headquartered on Fort Meade and includes a number of U.S. Army health clinics, and occupational and environmental health clinics at several other locations in Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania and the District of Columbia.
| Date Taken: | 03.03.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 03.03.2020 09:35 |
| Story ID: | 364357 |
| Location: | FORT GEORGE G. MEADE, MARYLAND, US |
| Web Views: | 92 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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