Photo By Cpl. Mariah-Alexsandra Manandic-Kapu | Hawaii Army National Guard (HIARNG) Soldier, Sgt. Fred M. Lino Jr, a small arms and...... read more read more
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WAHIAWA, Hawai‘i – Hawai‘i Army National Guard (HIARNG) Soldiers representing units from the 117th Mobile Public Affairs, 1st Battalion, 183rd Aviation Regiment, 227th Brigade Engineer Battalion (BEB), and 299th Cavalry Regiment competed to be named the top Soldier and top Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO) during the 2022 Best Warrior Competition (BWC) at Schofield Barracks and Bellows Air Force Base, Hawai‘i, March 4-6, 2022. This annual event is designed to test competitors’ mental and physical endurance.
The competition challenged Soldiers with consecutive events throughout three grueling days. The BWC started with the Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT), land navigation and obstacle course. The next day consisted of individual weapons qualification (IWQ), ruck march and written board. The last day concluded with the Expert Soldier Badge (ESB) tasks, a mystery event, and an appearance board.
Command Sgt. Maj. Brandon I. Kumalae, Command Sergeant Major of the 1st Squadron, 299th Cavalry Regiment, said the BWC is a great experience for Soldiers to test their preparation and resilience.
The ESB test stations included events from the weapons, medical, and patrol lanes with an additional set of tasks selected by the brigade commander from the unit’s missions essential task list (METL). It measured a Soldier’s proficiency in physical fitness, marksmanship, land navigation and other warrior tasks and drills to demonstrate a high level of lethality in the battlefield.
“It allows them to challenge themselves,” said Kumalae. “Obviously, a lot of time goes into preparing for the competition, so it allows them to challenge everything that they have prepared themselves for and see what they're truly capable of.”
Each competitor is assigned a unit sponsor who provides required equipment and supplies, moral support while also mentally and physically preparing their Soldiers for the competition. Effective sponsors can make a huge impact on competitors by sharing their knowledge and experience to motivate and train their Soldier.
“Luckily, I have good leadership,” said Spc. Kevin T. Brown, a mass communications specialist with the 117th MPAD, 103rd Troop Command. “My sponsor provided me with a lot of information for getting ready for this competition and helped prepare physically, so I'm excited to get out there and compete.”
The BWC competition is designed to push competitors in all aspects of physical and mental fortitude.
“You really had to dig deep,” said second-time competitor, Sgt. Trevor J. Castro, a helicopter repairer with Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 183rd Aviation Regiment, 103rd Troop Command. “You had to find a little bit of yourself inside of that ruck march, going on in that roller coaster of going up and down hills.”
Sgt. Fred M. Lino Jr., a small arms and artillery repairer, assigned to Echo Troop, Forward Support Company (FSC), 227th Brigade Engineer Battalion (BEB), 29th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (IBCT) also believed the ruck was the most challenging event.
“The ruck march, although not long, was a taxing event,” said Lino. “Helping and motivating each other to push definitely shows the type of individuals we were amongst.”
Despite the BWC being an individual competition, competitors encouraged each other in every event, especially the ruck march.
“This was a really exciting time to network with other competitors and see where they're from, what unit they're working with and also watch them excel at this competition,” said Brown.
The HIARNG 2022 BWC winners were NCO of the Year, Sgt. Fred M. Lino Jr. and Soldier of the Year, Spc. Kevin T. Brown.
Both BWC winners will move on to the regional level competition in Guam and potentially move on to the national-level competition in Tennessee.
“Some of the benefits of being a competitor for our Best Warrior Competition is the experience and the camaraderie gained with our competitors,” said Command Sgt. Maj. James R. Jimenez, Command Sergeant Major of HIARNG, the overall facilitator of the competition.
The Army is transitioning from an individual Soldier Best Warrior Competition to a five-man Best Squad Competition in September, according to the Sergeant Major of the Army, Sgt. Maj. Michael A. Grinston.
“I want units to really think about what makes up a squad,” said Grinston. “‘It isn’t just about the traditional infantry squad, it’s about those small groups of Soldiers who really know and care about each other and hold each other to a high standard of proficiency, discipline, and fitness.”
| Date Taken: | 03.06.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 03.17.2022 23:17 |
| Story ID: | 416696 |
| Location: | WAHIAWA, HI, US |
| Web Views: | 303 |
| Downloads: | 2 |
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