FORT CAMPBELL, Kentucky -- Blanchfield Army Community Hospital named Spc. Mondeka Douei Soldier of the Quarter, hospital leaders announced July, 30.
Douei, a native of the African nation Ivory Coast, is a behavioral health specialist and has served in the Army for nearly two years. He was selected SOQ after competing with 14 other candidates from the hospital
and outlying medical homes.
The SOQ board was a rigorous two-day competition run by hospital NCOs. The Soldiers were tested in a variety of areas, including, tactical combat casualty care, hot and cold helicopter patient loads and hoist operations, day and night land navigation, written exam, essay, oral board, Army Combat Fitness Test, combat water survival proficiency, and Army warrior tasks.
“Congratulations to all the Soldiers who competed for the honor to be called Soldier of the Quarter. This experience will certainly make them better Soldiers,” said Command Sgt. Maj. Daniel Santiago, BACH command sergeant major. “Spc. Douei showed what right looks like and earned the right to compete for the hospital’s 2020 Soldier of the Year. Col. [Patrick T.] Birchfield and I are extremely proud of Spc. Douei's accomplishment.”
This was the first SOQ board held at BACH since the arrival of Command Sgt. Maj. Santiago and he shared his observations of the program and the unique focus BACH NCOs put into the board.
“I was very impressed with the hard work and effort by all the support staff during the competition. Normally, in other locations, the NCO and SOQ winner is selected by conducting an oral board only, but the BACH NCOs went above and beyond and put together a two-day event similar to what you would see in an NCO and Soldier of the Year competition,” said Santiago.
The additional criteria added by the coordinators gives BACH Soldiers more experience that will serve them throughout their Army careers.
“Each time, we try to add another aspect of Soldier tasks to give the Soldiers more opportunities of readiness training,” said 1st Sgt. Lauren Morrell, BACH medical company first sergeant.
Douei will be recognized during an upcoming ceremony.
“Winning the competition was very important for me because my parents are visiting me from Africa next month and I wanted them to assist in the award ceremony. They have sacrificed a lot for me and my brothers to have better chances than they had, and I wanted to make them proud,” he said.
Located on Fort Campbell, Kentucky, Blanchfield Army Community Hospital supports the medical readiness of Soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault). Soldiers and federal civil service employees assigned to the hospital’s Soldier and Patient-Centered Medical Homes provide primary care service to more than 72,000 enrolled Soldiers, Retirees and their Family members. Additionally, BACH supports numerous specialty care, services including emergency medicine, surgery, integrated disability evaluation, traumatic brain injury, behavioral health, women’s health and inpatient care and many more services for more than 92,000 eligible beneficiaries within the 40-mile radius of Fort Campbell.