FARGO, N.D. — After a week of intense competition against the best soldiers in the entire U.S. Army, the North Dakota National Guard’s Spc. Ryan Lindberg didn’t walk away the best in the nation, but he was close. It’s the first time a North Dakota Guardsman has ever qualified to compete at this high of a level, said State Command Sgt. Maj. Gerald Miller, and Lindberg didn’t disappoint.
Lindberg, 23, qualified for the competition after being named the best in his unit — the Jamestown-based 817th Engineer Company (Sapper) — and then the best at brigade level, followed by the best in the state and then the best in the eight-state region. From there, he was named the “Best Warrior” out of all enlisted soldiers in the entire Army National Guard, an incredible achievement that put him head-to-head all last week with the top Soldiers from Army divisions around the world. That’s how he ended up at Fort Lee, Va., competing in what’s been coined the “Super Bowl of Army competitions.” In all, he has spent 15 months studying, training and competing to prepare for this event.
“It’s really surreal for the most part, but it’s an honor for me to not only represent our unit but the state and the entire United States National Guard,” said Lindberg, who has served more than six years in the Guard.
One enlisted soldier and one non-commissioned officer represented each of the 13 Army commands during the competition. On the first day alone, the 26 soldiers responded to questions posed by a board of sergeants major; were graded on their appearance, uniform and military bearing; took an exam; wrote an essay; and completed the Army Physical Fitness Test.
“You just never know what (the board is) going to ask you, and you don’t know if you’re prepared. … I was in front of the Sergeant Major of the United States Army (Raymond F. Chandler III). … It’s a little intimidating but yet it’s still an honor at the same point that you meet this guy and you’re here in this spot to be able to answer these questions in front of the Sergeant Major of the Army,” Lindberg said.
The next day, Oct. 5, they launched into the more strenuous part of the competition — the part Lindberg prefers despite the physical challenges that come with it. Lindberg’s mentor, Sgt. 1st Class Mark Olafson, of West Fargo, N.D., watched Lindberg come in a close second during a daytime Urban Warfare Orienteering Course, and then win the nighttime course “by a hefty margin,” Olafson said, beating even the soldier named the 2009 Ranger of the Year.
“We start out at a starting point and they give us certain grid coordinates that we have to navigate to, and we don’t know exactly what to expect but … we’re just expecting along the route that certain scenarios are going to happen to us and we’re going to have to react to those scenarios and do our best to complete the task,” Lindberg said before the event.
The scenarios included mock battlefield injuries that required medical treatment as the soldiers worked to find all of their points by map and compass and be the first across the finish line.
After three hours of sleep that night, Lindberg and the other competitors tested on Warrior Tasks and Battle Drills, which included everything from evaluating a casualty to clearing rooms and villages to weapons assembly and functions checks. Later that day, they zeroed and qualified with their personal weapons before heading into a spectacular night fire event where competitors needed to hit targets lit only by the glow of flares as pyrotechnics exploded around them.
“He gave it a valiant effort all the way through,” Miller said. “I, for one, can tell you he truly is a remarkable young man with a bright future, and I feel I am a better person for knowing him.”
Olafson, who also serves in the 817th Engineer Company, remained by Lindberg’s side through every stage of the competition, providing mentorship and assistance.
“He’s probably done more work than I have for this competition,” Lindberg said. “… He’s done a big part in helping me advance this far.”
For more than a year, Olafson has been there quizzing him and training with him. He’s proud of how well his young, fellow soldier has done.
“It’s been awesome watching him excel at all of the given tasks throughout the competitions,” Olafson said, “but the most impressive thing is the respect he earns from the other competitors and sponsors. It really reflects well on him and the entire North Dakota National Guard.”
As the week drew to a close, Lindberg fought his way to the top during a combatives competition, as well, being named the best enlisted soldier in the tournament.
Despite the wins, Lindberg missed the top spot — the only place revealed — when the competition concluded. Spc. Thomas Hauser, who serves with the Army’s Forces Command, was named the Best Warrior in the enlisted category and a Utah National Guardsman, Sgt. Guy Mellor, won the Best Warrior title in the non-commissioned officer category. They were announced winners during a banquet yesterday in Washington, D.C., which Lindberg was able to attend with his parents, Rob and Donna Lindberg, of Jamestown.
“I didn’t hold anything back,” Lindberg said afterward. “Everything I did was the best I could do.”
After missing about two weeks of school to compete with the best of the best, Lindberg is now returning to North Dakota State University, in Fargo, where he’s pursuing a degree in construction management and engineering. He plans to graduate in the spring.
| Date Taken: | 10.11.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 10.11.2011 15:13 |
| Story ID: | 78334 |
| Location: | FARGO, ND, US |
| Web Views: | 27 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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