31st Best Warrior Competition

Published May 9, 2014
By Staff Sgt. Nathan Akridge
31st ADA Brigade PAO NCOIC

AL UDEID AIR BASE, Qatar -- Across the globe, there are numerous events held to determine who the best is. The Tour De France challenges the basic skills of cyclists, while the Olympics tests the abilities of athletes from around the world, letting only one person go home with the coveted gold medal from each event.

Soldiers from across the 32nd Air and Missile Defense Command had a chance to test their mettle and knowledge during the Top Notch Brigade Best Warrior Competition. The competitors were chosen from roughly 1700 Soldiers across six countries within the Central Command's area of responsibility. The Soldiers were required to complete a series of tasks that tested their knowledge on basic and advanced Soldier skills, as well as military occupational specialty specific skill sets as well as military occupational specialty specific skill sets.

31st Air Defense Artillery Brigade Command Sgt. Maj. Gerardo Dominguez, said the reason for the competition was simple, to recognize the noncommissioned officer, soldier, medic, and mechanic of the year in our air defense units through a series of challenging war fighting soldiering tasks. The ultimate goal is for our warriors to compete and win at the U.S. Army Central Board and later at the Army-level Soldier of the Year Board."

The competition started with Soldiers competing against each other during the Army Physical Fitness Test. After completing pushups, sit-ups and a two-mile run, the Soldiers took an exam that tested them on their general military knowledge, along with skills in land navigation, military history, warrior tasks and battle drills.

Soldiers also had to complete an urban orienteering course. Color coded sandbags were used as waypoints, and were coded by color, with each color being worth a certain number of points. The lane noncommissioned officer in charge, Staff Sgt. Victor Fernandez, Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 31st Air Defense Artillery Brigade, said he wanted to create a unique course for the competition. "Staff Sgt. Tucker and I designed an Urban Orienteering Course for the Top Notch Brigade Best Warrior Competition," said Fernandez. "Soldiers had to navigate through urban areas, using a map and terrain association, and collect as many waypoints as possible. Yet, we added a few twists, the waypoints were sandbags and there were only so many of them at each point. I guess you could say it was a cross between an Easter egg hunt and the `Hunger Games'."

One more unique aspects of the event was the Medic competition. Medics not only had a written test, but faced a moulage event as well, where volunteers were given realistic wounds that reflect what would be seen on today's battlefield.

Sgt. Brian Yaple, 31st ADA senior medic, said the event challenged the competitors to step from beyond their comfort zone and helped improve their medic skill set, as well as make them a more adaptable and well-rounded leader in the future. "The three competitors vying for Top Medic were exposed to a whole different level of operations," said Yaple. "The written exam and formal board widened their scope to far more than that of just an ambulance driver. Seeing the big picture is crucial in today's Army. To have that understanding and a wide comprehension of the nature of current operations will prepare them for the challenges they will face as they take on leadership roles, responsible for both personnel and resources."

Pfc. Kyle Little, 2-44 ADA Health Care Specialist , said the moulage portion was by far his favorite part of the Best Warrior Competition. "My favorite was the skills validation I went through as a medic in the competition," said Little. "The volunteer casualties and their injuries were very realistic and I had an exciting time treating them as well."

For Sgt. Justin Engle, 3-43 ADA, winner of the Top Notch Brigade NCO of the Year competition, being named Top Notch Brigade NCO of the Year was a culmination of his hard work. "It felt good, it was overwhelming to know that all the hard work and dedication I put in paid off and that I was capable of achieving extraordinary things."

Engle added that the competition pushed him to learn a lot about himself. "Before training for and participating in this competition, I didn't realize how much I didn't know," said Engle. "I would say this competition has greatly improved me as a Soldier and a leader."

Best Medic Competition