Fort McCoy, Wis. -- Thirty-two of the best and the brightest Non-Commissioned Officers and junior enlisted Soldiers from the U.S. Army Reserve Command are vying to become the NCO and Soldier of the Year during the Best Warrior Competition being held here. The competition runs July 6-10.

Today, 20 NCOs and 12 Soldiers completed a written exam, a timed essay, and an appearance before a board where the most senior NCOs posed questions challenging their military knowledge.

Tomorrow, the competitors will start the physical portion of the competition with a fitness test comprised of sit-ups, push-ups and a two-mile run. They will then move on to Urban Orienteering course until late into the night.

On Wednesday, the competitors start the day before dawn with a road march, and then move on to the M-4 rifle qualification range. From there, they will test their mettle during Warrior Tasks and Battle Drills. The day will end at the M-4 qualification range where they will engage in a night fire event.

Thursday, July 10, the Warriors will complete the competition phase with a "mystery event," unknown to the competitors until the last minute.

That evening, the top NCO and Soldier of the Year will be named at an awards dinner on Fort McCoy, representing the 200,000 Soldiers in the Army Reserve serving worldwide.

The two winners will represent the U.S. Army Reserve Command at the Department of the Army-level Best Warrior Competition held at Fort Lee, Va., Sept. 29-Oct. 3, 2008.