Photo By Sgt. Maj. Alexander Burnett | Col. Lawrence Kominiak, right, the 7th Sustainment Brigade commander, pins the Army...... read more read more
KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan - The 7th Sustainment Brigade hosted a Soldier and Non-commissioned Officer of the Year board at the brigade support operations conference room on Kandahar Airfield, April 4.
Soldiers and non-commissioned officers from the 129th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 1225th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion and 298th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion traveled from Camp Leatherneck and Shindand Airfield to take part in this competition. Accompanying the soldiers were their sponsors and command sergeants major to present their troops and sit on the board.
The competitors’ day began at 4 a.m. when they assembled at the KAF boardwalk for the Army physical fitness test. The two soldiers and three non-commissioned officers performed all three events to the best of their ability.
“The competitors really gave their all during the Army Physical Fitness Test,” said Staff Sgt. James Floyd the 7th Sustainment Brigade support operations senior fuel non-commissioned officer. “Even in this deployed environment, with less than optimum conditions, they performed to the best of their ability.”
The next event was a written exam. The board participants answered 50 questions in one hour covering basic soldier knowledge ranging from Army leadership to field sanitation.
The event continued to what should have been the final event of the day, the actual board. The competitors stood before four command sergeants major and a master sergeant to give their biographies and answer questions about soldier skills, Army history and the history of the 7th Sustainment Brigade.
A clear winner for Soldier of the Year emerged from the board, Spc. Justinross Bustillo, a 541st Maintenance Company, 129th CSSB truck commander and heavy vehicle operator.
“I am very happy to have won, I know the other soldier competing did very well too,” said Bustillo. “I want to thank my supervisor and non-commissioned officer for helping me prepare for this board.”
After the competing NCOs finished their board, there was a two-way tie. Command Sgt. Maj. Tony Escalona, the 7th Sustainment Brigade command sergeant major, decided the tie-breaker would be a three to five minute presentation about the Creed of the Non-commissioned Officer and what it means to them. All three NCOs were given one hour to prepare their presentation.
Each NCO gave their presentation and the board members decided one presentation stood out above the rest. Sgt. Latanya Deniyazhe, the 297th Inland Cargo Transfer Company, 1225th CSSB movement non-commissioned officer in charge, won.
“It felt amazing to win,” said Deniyazhe. “I hope to do this well at the next level of this competition.”
Bustillo and Deniyazhe will compete in the Joint Sustainment Command Afghanistan Soldier and Non-commissioned Officer of the Year boards later this month.
“All the soldiers who competed did extremely well and bring pride to their respective units,” said Escalona. “They truly are the cream of the crop and our two winners will excel at the next level.”
| Date Taken: | 04.04.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 04.17.2011 07:01 |
| Story ID: | 68870 |
| Location: | KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, AF |
| Web Views: | 175 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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