FORT SILL, Okla. May 9, 2014 -- Five drill sergeants from the 434th Field Artillery Brigade competed to become the 2014 Fort Sill Drill Sergeant of the Year (DSoY), during a grueling competition April 30 through May 2 here.
On May 7 her birthday, Drill Sergeant (Staff Sgt.) Lindsay Hultman, C Battery, 1st Battalion, 19th Field Artillery was named the winner during a ceremony at Thurman Hall.
"All the hard work I put in not just for the competition, but for my whole career has all come together and payed off," she said. "It's an honor to represent 434 and Fort Sill."
Hultman outscored the other drill sergeants in a competition that measured not only their abilities to teach Basic Combat Training (BCT) Soldiers, but also on warrior tasks; weapons qualification and familiarity; physical fitness; combatives; military bearing; written and oral communication skills; and Army knowledge.
Also competing were Drill Sergeant (Staff Sgt.) Cory Gleason, B Battery, 1st Battalion, 79th Field Artillery; Drill Sergeant (Staff Sgt.) Toddrick Murry, A/1-40th FA; Drill Sergeant (Staff Sgt.) Timoteo Salinas, C/1-79th FA; and Drill Sergeant (Sgt.) Sophia Marinakes, F/1-40th FA.
2013 Fort Sill DSoY Drill Sergeant (Sgt. 1st Class) William Schmidt designed the course to model the Training and Doctrine Command DSoY competition Hultman will see this fall.
"We want to find the best drill sergeant who can perform all the tasks to standards, while under physical and mental duress," he said on Day 3. "All these competitors right now are feeling pain in some way, but none are giving up that's the kind of mentality we're looking for."
Events
The competition began April 30 with height and weight measurements, safety briefings, and administrative taskings, including a research assignment.
Day 2 included Physical Readiness Training (PRT) instruction, or modules; a three-mile ability group run; and ruck march with about a 65-pound load. Then a mini land-navigation course took competitors to various stations where they were evaluated on warrior skills, such as chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear defense.
The last assignment was an essay test on how they would improve BCT. Their day ended at 10:30 p.m.
Because of the format, competitors trained to do any task when it arose.
"We have no idea what's coming up next," Marinakes said. "Whatever they tell us, we go and do it."
Wake up on Day 3 was at 3:30 a.m. for a night land navigation course.
Then came the 1st Sgt. Forrest Peden Combat Confidence Course, where they had to maneuver through 16 events.
More training modules followed, including drill and ceremonies, and facing movements.
After a quick meal, the drill sergeants formed up at Contingency Operations Location Murphy for more module evaluations.
Day 4 also began at 3:30 a.m. with a 10-mile road march. Then it was off to a range where they qualified with the M4 carbine rifle in two shoots, one in full "battle rattle."
Next, at the McKenzie Hill Complex, competitors disassembled and reassembled: the M16 rifle; M240 and M249 machine guns; the AT4 anti-tank launcher; and the M203 grenade launcher, (which they also fired).
They also identified hand grenades.
The last day began with a PT test this was after four days of running and marching about 30 miles and with very little sleep, Schmidt said. Then the drill sergeants had to do give a formal presentation to Col. Mike Dvoracek, 434th FA Brigade commander, on testing in BCT. Afterward, they went in front of a board of battalion sergeants major with Command Sgt. Maj. Edward Estep, 434th FA Brigade CSM, presiding.
Just when they thought it was over, the drill sergeants had to perform another module stack-and-take arms, which consists of getting four Soldiers to stack their weapons into a tripod.
"It's the worst module that you can pitch," Schmidt said. "It consists of 36 paragraphs."
There were many reasons why Gleason competed in DSoY.
"I believe through competition that you are able to better yourself and motivate yourself," said Gleason, who has been a drill sergeant for about 15 months.
Hultman, from Blaine Minn., said she competed to push herself.
"I'm always looking for that next challenge and this was a great opportunity," she said.
Salinas, like all the competitors, said he wanted to become a drill sergeant so he could train Soldiers.
"Being a drill sergeant lets me do it every day," said Salinas, who is from Elk City, Okla.
Murry recommended the competition to his peers.
"It keeps you sharp for your (BCT) Soldiers, and you're producing Soldiers who you can be proud of in the future Army.
DSoY role
The Fort Sill DSoY acts as the liaison between the 326 drill sergeants and the 434th FA Brigade commander and command sergeant major, Schmidt said. The DSoY voices drill sergeants' concerns to the command, and implements any TRADOC changes to BCT through drill sergeants. The DSoY and his assistants run the Drill Sergeants Candidates Course for Soldiers, and also train PRT to air defense artillery cadre here, who in turn teach it their Advanced Individual Training students.
Hultman moves on to the TRADOC DSoY competition Sept. 7, at Fort Jackson, S.C. This year is the 50th anniversary of the DSoY. The TRADOC winner will be the Army's DSoY and will become part of TRADOC staff at Fort Eustis, Va.
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