Photo By Sgt. Lilliana Magoon | U.S. Army Paratroopers assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division, alongside medics...... read more read more
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FORT LIBERTY, N.C. – The 82nd Airborne Division Best Medic Competition is a three-day test where competitors are tested on physical strength, mental endurance and medical knowledge. The annual competition, which took place from January 16 to 18, 2024, allowed medics on the installation to compete against others within their profession in a demanding environment where they utilize both their brain and brawn.
“The purpose of the Best Medic Competition is to enhance our skills and put them to the test against other units … and have fun with it as well,” stated Spc. Cesar Guzman, a competitor and combat medic assigned to the 407th Brigade Support Battalion, 82nd Airborne Division Sustainment Brigade.
This competition is broken down into multiple parts. The first day consisted of a physical fitness test and a written test. The second day started with a 13-mile ruck march and led directly into a stress shoot. On the last day, medics completed the All American Mile obstacle course, a two and a half mile kit run, tactical combat casualty care and military working dog tactical care lanes. The competition culminated in a day and night land navigation course.
Combat medic specialists are vital to the Army’s success.
As the Division focuses on large-scale combat operations and multi-domain operations, the need for a competent medical authority is prevalent. Medical personnel must perform at their best and must be ready to prevail on their hardest day of ground combat.
Combat medics are required to be physically and mentally proficient and knowledgeable on various medical procedures and their patients' needs. It is important that combat medic specialists never turn down an opportunity to train.
“I’m hoping to learn how much I can push myself through physical events and with my medical knowledge under stress,” said Sgt. Tyler Breck, a competitor and combat medic specialist assigned to the 1st Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Abn. Div.
“What the best medic competition means to me is to represent the 82nd Airborne Division on an Army scale,” stated Breck. “I’ve been very proud of the several years that I’ve spent at the 82nd Airborne and I look forward to having an opportunity to represent them.”
“Competitions breed excellence,” said Sgt. 1st Class Travis Fillion, the clinical operations noncommissioned for the 82nd Abn. Div. Surgeon Cell. “They not only identify your strengths, but offer a chance to look at yourself holistically and give you an opportunity to recognize where you need to improve.
Winning the best medic competition is no small feat. It requires more than brute strength and memorization. It demands mental fortitude and outstanding focus from individuals who strive to develop themselves and fully commit to the soldiers who rely on them.
“Competitors continually impress us. They are the most physically fit and mentally fit individuals that their units have selected to attend the competition,” said Fillion. “Ultimately, these paratroopers embody the paratroopers' national treasure mentality. They’re adaptable, they improvise and they’re able to switch their train of thought at a moment's notice.”
The winners of the Division competition were Spc. Cezar Guzman and Spc. Jarod Boehme, a combat medic assigned to 1st Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Abn. Div. They will continue as teammates to the Army wide Command Sgt. Maj. Jack Clark Army Best Medic Competition on Fort Liberty in March.
| Date Taken: | 01.25.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 01.25.2024 17:07 |
| Story ID: | 462460 |
| Location: | FORT LIBERTY, NC, US |
| Web Views: | 198 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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