FORT McCOY, Wis. – Participants from all over the U.S. are focused on winning the 2013 Army Reserve Best Warrior Competition at Fort McCoy, Wis., including Sgt. Jeremiah Bruce from Fort Shafter, Hawaii.
With motivation to spare, Bruce is ready to win the Army Reserve Best Warrior Competition. If he wins Best Warrior, Bruce hopes his unit, the 442nd Infantry Regiment, will send him to the International Top Sniper Competition later this year. Bruce would be the first Army Reserve soldier to compete for that title.
Bruce, a native of Silverdale, Wash., feels his Afghanistan deployment as an infantry medic taught him how to better prepare and train. During his deployment he was awarded the Combat Medical Badge.
“My deployment, absolutely, helped me with better preparation, better training and understanding on where your motivation lies,” Bruce said.
This is his first year competing in the 2013 Army Reserve Best Warrior Competition during his 11 years of service. In preparation, Bruce was able to get some extra training with U.S. Army soldier’s board questions, weapons range time and Army warrior tasks.
Bruce would like to attend Pathfinder and Airborne schools and add to his certifications of Dive Master, Combatives Level 1, Air Assault and Emergency Medical Technician. He also wants to earn his Expert Infantry Badge.
“I am also a qualified sniper,” said Bruce. “Making me one of only three snipers in the Army Reserve.”
When not in uniform Bruce attends the University of Hawaii-West Oahu campus pursuing a Bachelors of Science in economics and aviation degree. He is also a qualified civilian pilot and aspires one day to be a warrant officer pilot in the Army Reserve.
“Bruce is a great soldier, he is motivated,” said Bruce’s sponsor, Staff Sgt. Nakoa Hoe. “Our unit is lucky to have him, he brings a lot with his experience both being a medic and his dedication to being a sniper. I am happy to help him out,” Nakoa said.