Photo By Sgt. Maj. Marisol Walker | Sgt. 1st Class Zachary A. Zuehlsdorf, assigned with the Staff Sgt. Todd R. Cornell...... read more read more
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FORT MCCOY, Wis. - For the past four years, the Staff Sgt. Todd R. Cornell Non-commissioned Officer Academy has produced the winner to compete at the Army Reserve Best Warrior Competition for the 88th Regional Support Command.
This year, Sgt. 1st Class Zachary Zuehlsdorf, plans to start a new streak as he is determined to be the first to win at the United States Army Reserve Command level.
“We've won four years in a row at the 88th and two years in a row winning second place at USARC level,” said Zuehlsdorf, an Oshkosh, Wis., native.
Sgt. 1st Class Conrad Nazar, runner-up for the 2011 BWC, passed on the torch along with all his knowledge and experiences to Zuehlsdorf, as he returns this year to sponsor him.
“Talk about a great sponsor,” Zuehlsdorf, said. “Hand down, he's helped me the most.”
Having been though the competition, Nazar was able to guide and mentor Zuehlsdorf through the right training.
“As a sponsor I get to see the competition from a different perspective,” said Nazar. “It has allowed me to see how he's developed and refined his skills.”
“This will also give us [NCOA] a better opportunity to keep producing top-notch NCO's to keep competing for years to come,” Nazar added.
Assigned to the NCOA as an instructor for the Warrior Leaders Course has helped Zuehlsdorf not only in this competition, but has made him a better soldier.
Fellow WLC instructors and questions students would ask helped him through it, he said.
“As a soldier, you want to be the best of the best,” said Zuehlsdorf. “And to do that you have to prove it somewhere. This is the perfect spot.”
Zuehlsdorf's long-term goal in the military is to make command sergeant major and retire from the military and said he believes pushing himself to do these types of events get him a step closer to his goals.
“Every step you take should be to better yourself and your career,” Zuehlsdorf said. “That's the ultimate goal-to be the best.”
A father of two boys, Zuehlsdorf, credits his wife, Alicia, for moral support not only in this competition, but throughout his military career.
“She has been there every step of the way,” he said with enthusiasm. “Couldn't ask for any better.”
Training for the competition became a family affair for the Zuehlsdorf family.
“As I was training for the ruck march, she would drive me four to fives miles out and follow me, pushing me through,” he said.
The kids also got involved, as Zuehlsdorf took his 4-year-old son out for a ruck march.
“I put on his little ruck and we went up the block,” he said. “He thought it was the coolest thing in the world.”
As the BWC competition comes to its final days, Zuehlsdorf continues to fight for title of NCO of the Year for himself, his unit and most importantly his family.
| Date Taken: | 07.19.2012 |
| Date Posted: | 07.19.2012 16:36 |
| Story ID: | 91835 |
| Location: | FORT MCCOY, WISCONSIN, US |
| Web Views: | 108 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, On a Quest for Top Title, by SGM Marisol Walker, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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