CHILLICOTHE, Ohio — The words “march” and “competition” go hand in hand in American society. Mid-March is a time when many turn their attention to college basketball and their brackets. For select members of the Ohio Army National Guard, a competition of a different sort was on their minds.
During the Ohio Army National Guard Noncommissioned Officer and Soldier of the Year-Best Warrior Competition, held March 22-24 at Camp Sherman Joint Training Center, Soldiers and noncommissioned officers from across the state competed to find out who the best really was.
Starting before sunrise, competitors pushed themselves through a modified Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT). The test included the standard push-ups and sit-ups, but instead of the usual two-mile run it was extended to four miles. Culminating with pull-ups, competitors knew that that they were going to be pushed to their limits.
“Something I really wanted to build into this competition was mental toughness,” said Command Sgt. Maj. Roger Jones, state command sergeant major and a Galloway, Ohio, native. “Focusing on the physical and mental resilience of the Soldiers, putting them in some very stressful situations, put them under some pressure and seeing how they respond.”
Rifle marksmanship and land navigation were then tested in quick succession. With little way to know who was leading, every event could decide the winner. Competitors were then tested on a variety of Army Warrior Tasks, including applying a tourniquet, calling for a medical evacuation, searching a detainee, identifying and securing grenades and operating a radio.
The competitors then proceeded to go before a board of sergeants major, who scrutinized each competitor’s appearance and military bearing while simultaneously quizzing them on a diverse range of topics, including military history, policies and regulations, Army programs and current events.
The next morning found the warriors preparing for a six-mile road march. With full body armor, helmet, weapon and loaded ruck sack, it was anything but a walk in the park. As one of the last chances to pull ahead, Soldiers and NCOs gave everything they had to finish the last physical test of the competition. Thoroughly spent, the warriors then had to take a one-hour written examination on all facets of Army knowledge.
Once the final results were tallied, Spc. Vincent Carson, a computer systems repairer with the 212th Maintenance Company and a Strongsville, Ohio, native, and Staff Sgt. Heath Robinson, a medic with the 285th Medical Company (Area Support) and a Canal Winchester, Ohio, native, stood alone as the best Warrior and NCO in the Ohio Army National Guard, respectively.
“It worth all the effort, all the hardship that you go through,” Carson said. “It means a hell of a lot. Putting it all together, all the training for this weekend and coming out a winner.”
Carson had spent the winter training for the event, putting in at least 20 hours a week of weight and endurance training as well as honing his Soldier skills. He is also a student at The Ohio State University, and had to balance his studies and a part-time job with training for the competition.
“Its hard to put aside your personal life.” Carson said. “Everyone wants to have fun, but I had to put that aside so I could work to getting to the next level.”
This marks the second year in a row where the 371st Sustainment Brigade has represented the state with both the Soldier and NCO of the year.
“It’s not that we have better Soldiers, it’s that our preparation has been better,” said Robinson, who last year’s competition but was unable to compete at regionals due to an injury during training. “I just feel that I wasn’t really better, I just was better prepared.”
While the two went on to represent Ohio against the best Soldiers from Illinois, Michigan, Iowa, Minnesota, Indiana and Wisconsin during the Region IV Best Warrior Competition May 13-16 at Marseilles Training Center in Marseilles, Ill., the experience that all the competitors gained from the Best Warrior Competition goes beyond who won.
“The overarching theme is twofold. One is leader development; we are showing leaders what Army Standard training, what good challenging hard training looks like so they can take those lessons back to their units,” Jones said. “Any time you hold a Soldier to Army standards, you show them the right way to do a task you are developing that Soldier for the future, be it a Pfc. or a sergeant first class. You are ingraining in his mind, ‘This is the right way to do the task.’ The other is we are developing skills that these leaders can utilize on the battlefield, could need on the battlefield. So it’s a combination of training, leader development and competition.”
Ohio National Guard Soldiers, Airmen and NCOs of the Year were honored during a series of events June 10-11, including a recognition ceremony at the Ohio Statehouse. To review the Ohio Air National Guard winners, which were announced earlier this year, go to: http://ong.ohio.gov/stories/2013/February/020413-AirmanOfYear.html. |
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