Best Medic Competition 2021

Photo By Sgt. Ruby Torres | Staff Sgt. Ismael Marquez (left), and Spc. Brandon Gracia (right), assigned to 3rd Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, pose as the winners of the Ivy Best Medic Competition, Oct. 7, 2021, Fort Carson, Colorado. The two combat medics will move on to the Army Best Medic Competition in January 2022. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Ruby Torres)  

FORT CARSON, CO, UNITED STATES

10.07.2021

Story by Spc. Kelsey Simmons 

4th Infantry Division Public Affairs Office

4th Infantry Division hosts Best Medic Competition 2021
Sgt. Kelsey Simmons
14th Public Affairs Detachment
October 7, 2021

4th Infantry Division hosts Best Medic Competition 2021
FORT CARSON, COLO. — The 4th Infantry Division hosted the Ivy Best Medic Competition, from Oct. 4-6, Fort Carson, Colorado. Five Soldiers from across the installation participated in the three-day competition to identify the two best Ivy Medics.
“The Ivy Best Medic Competition is a great opportunity for medics to come out and show their skills, represent their companies, represent the 4th Inf. Div. and represent the Army,” said Master Sgt. Brandon Plunkett, the noncommissioned officer in charge of the Ivy Best Medic Competition.
The competition is designed to physically and mentally challenge the participants as well as test their tactical medical proficiency.
“It’s a super grueling event filled with obstacle courses, ruck marches, and other things like that,” said Spc. Brandon Gracia, a combat medic assigned to 3rd Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 4th Inf. Div. “A lot of medical skills are involved. Unfortunately, there’s not a lot of rest time, but we do get to joke around with the other competitors. It’s been an awesome and friendly environment.”
The first day of the competition consisted of three events — a Chemical Biological Radiological Nuclear skills test, a 12-mile ruck and a medical skills challenge.
“So far, the event has been pretty fun,”’ said Staff Sgt. Ismael Marquez, a combat medic assigned to 3rd Sqdn., 61st Cav. Reg., 2nd SBCT, 4th Inf. Div. “The 12-mile took a bit out of me, but other than that, both my Soldier and I finished as the top two. I’m pretty excited about that.”
The second day consisted of four events — an Army Combat Fitness Test, a swimming challenge, an obstacle course and a medical evacuation challenge.
“You think you’re good at swimming until you do it with a uniform on, and suddenly, you’re almost drowning,” Gracia said. “It’s definitely one of the things I need to work on."
The third and final day consisted of only one event — Urban orienteering. For this event, the competitors were given five different points throughout Fort Carson to find. They were given four hours to locate every point and make it back to the starting line.
After all the points had been totaled from each of the events, Gracia and Marquez were announced as the winners of the competition during a ceremony at the 4th Inf. Div. Headquarters.
“My platoon now has back-to-back division Best Medic titles, so now the rest of them will be pumped to compete next year,” said Marquez.
Following the Ivy Best Medic Competition will be the Command Sgt. Maj. Jack L. Clark Jr. Army Best Medic Competition, from Jan. 24-28, 2022, at Fort Hood, Texas. The AMBC is a 72-84 hour, two-Soldier team competition that challenges the Army’s best medical teams in a demanding, continuous and realistic simulated operational environment. The winning team will claim the title as the Army’s top combat medic team for 2022.
“We’re going to need that time to work on our communication skills, getting physically fit and medically prepared for all the events that are going to come out,” Gracia said. “So far, this competition has been amazing. I’m really looking forward to what’s next.”
-30-

• Date Taken: 10.07.2021
• Date Posted: 10.08.2021 15:34
• Story ID: 406968
• Location: FORT CARSON, CO, US