EDITOR'S NOTE: COLUMBUS, Ohio (March 9, 2012) — The Ohio Army National Guard Noncommissioned Officer and Soldier of the Year/Best Warrior Competition is being held March 9-11 at Camp Sherman, near Chillicothe. Soldiers and NCOs from all over the state will test their skills in several events: APFT, rifle/pistol qualification and stress fire, land navigation, Army Warrior Task testing, 6-mile ruck march, personal appearance board, written essay and written exam. The weekend's competitors had to win at their battalion level to make it this far; this article and photos depict the battalion-level board conducted last fall by the 371st Special Troops Battalion, Newark.
"I am disciplined, physically and mentally tough, trained and proficient in my warrior tasks and drills. I always maintain my arms, my equipment and myself."
Those words from the Soldier's Creed, along with the Warrior Ethos, echo across every component in the Army. They are yelled at the top of Soldier's lungs during basic training and remain the framework and watchwords Soldiers live by. Soldiers with the 371st Special Troops Battalion, 371st Sustainment Brigade, Ohio Army National Guard, put their Soldier skills to the test during a Noncommissioned Officer and Soldier of the Year board Sept. 17, 2011, at the battalion headquarters in Newark, Ohio.
"The Army conducts boards to strengthen esprit de corps within our companies and within our ranks," said Command Sgt. Maj. Adoree Georskey, 371st STB command sergeant major and a West Jefferson, Ohio, native. "It's always a proud moment when we can watch a Soldier grow and help mold them and present them in front of a board."
NCO and Soldier of the year boards are a culmination test of military tasks and drills, where competitors are judged in their proficiency in each of the various tasks. The 371st STB board began with an Army Physical Fitness Test before sunrise. The competitors then went into the Army Warrior Task testing, with hands-on skills such as map reading, land navigation, weapons knowledge and first-aid/combat lifesaving techniques.
After being judged in those various categories, Soldiers participated in the final event of the day, the personal appearance board. There is a time honored tradition involved in military boards. The military uses boards to decide a number of professional steps in a Soldier's career. Boards are used in the military for promotions, medical decisions and competitions such as Soldier or NCO of the year.
Soldiers wore their green Class A dress uniform or blue Army Service Uniform, and each sat in front of a panel of senior NCOs within the 371st STB, who tested their knowledge of Army regulations, current events and chain of command structure, among several topics.
Preparation for the Soldier and NCO of the year board is the responsibility of both the individual Soldier and their first line leaders.
"Bringing a Soldier to present in front of the board starts by the leader earning the respect of the Soldier they are sponsoring," said Sgt. 1st Class Brian Hickman, 2nd platoon leader with the 212th Maintenance Company, 371st STB and a Newark, Ohio, native. "Once the leader accomplishes that, their Soldiers will do almost anything for them."
Hickman, who has led previous Soldiers all the way to the state competition, says the key to molding a strong Soldier to present to the board is by giving them as much information about the upcoming board as is possible, so the Soldier can focus on the specifics evaluation areas. He said that being in the National Guard, he does not get a lot of face time with his Soldiers, so he tests them via e-mail and text messaging, ensuring the Soldier stays on task with learning.
"I have a lot of personal experience participating in boards," Hickman said. "Where these Soldiers are sitting on the hot seat, I've been there many times. I know what they are going through and that helps me prepare them."
Hickman also said he has his Soldiers answer his board questions the way they would in the official board, so that they get in that formal mode, from the very start.
One of the Soldiers competing in the board, Spc. Kevin Cool, said the greatest accomplishment he gets out of competing in boards, such as the NCO and Soldier of the Year board, is confidence.
"I can definitely feel (my confidence) building," said Cool, a wheeled vehicle mechanic with the 212th and a Rittman, Ohio, native. "I feel it continue to grow from each board to the next."
Hickman is Cool's sponsor, and Cool is moving on to the next level of the competition, the state board, March 9-11 at Camp Sherman.
"This is the point where I am going to let (Cool) know he has earned my respect. He is now doing this for himself, not for me," Hickman said.
There were more than 10 competitors in the competition; two NCOs and two Soldiers were chosen to represent the battalion at the state board.
"We have Soldiers out there who do great things and leaders who grow great Soldiers," Georskey said. "Boards give leaders an opportunity to present Soldiers who are not only quality Soldiers, but quality people." |
