SAN ANTONIO (May 11, 2015) -- A pair of Military policemen from U.S. Army Garrison Benelux-Schinnen were named U.S. Army Installation Management Command Soldier and Noncommisssioned Officer of the Year in the 2015 IMCOM Best Warrior competition at Camp Bullis May 4-8.
Spc. Shane Sital and Staff Sgt. Jacob Kasarda, both with the garrison's Headquarters and Headquarters Company, took top honors among eight Soldiers and noncommissioned officers from across the United States, Europe and South Korea, representing IMCOM's four regions.
Pfc. Larry Laufer from Anaheim, California, a paralegal specialist with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, U.S. Army Garrison Fort Hood, Texas, and Staff Sgt. John Williams, a Lebanon, Tennessee native with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, U.S. Army Garrison Camp Humphreys, South Korea, were runners-up.
"I'm ecstatic. It was great to compete with my fellow warriors from around the world and the other regional winners. To come out on top, it's indescribable," said Kasarda.
Kasarda and Sital, will represent IMCOM at the Army Best Warrior competition later this year.
Also competing were:
• Pvt. Leonard Castro, an aviation operations specialist with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, U.S. Army Garrison Camp Humphreys, South Korea, Pacific Region Soldier of the Year;
• Pfc. Joshua Gillman, a chaplain assistant with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, U.S. Army Garrison Fort Gordon, Georgia, Atlantic Region Soldier of the Year;
• Staff Sgt. Christopher Baker, a chaplains assistant with Headquarters and Headquarters Company U.S. Army Garrison Fort Knox, Kentucky, Atlantic Region NCO of the Year; and
• Sgt. Jaletta Paige, a chaplain assistant with Headquarters and Headquarters Company U.S. Army Garrison Fort Riley, Kansas, Central Region NCO of the Year.
The IMCOM competition took place in cooperation with the Best Warrior events of other Army commands headquartered at Joint Base San Antonio: U.S. Army North, U.S. Army South and the U.S. Army Medical Command. Soldiers competed together through every event, but were graded by their own commands.
A combined team of NCOs tested the competitors physically and mentally on a variety of Soldier tasks, including marksmanship, land navigation, physical fitness and first aid.
"All of our competitors did a fantastic job, but we are extremely proud of our warriors that represent IMCOM Europe," said Command Sgt. Maj. Romeo Montez III, IMCOM Europe Region. "These competitors are fine examples of adaptive and resilient Soldiers. They are what makes the Army strong and enables a strong Europe!"
Mobile, Alabama, native Gillman won an award for best marksmanship among all Soldiers in the combined competition.
Williams, NCO of the Year for the Pacific region, took home the combined NCO marksmanship award and Laufer, Central region Soldier of the Year was honored for the fastest time among all Soldiers that competed in the 12-mile foot march.
Both Sital and Kasarda, who entered the IMCOM event as Soldier and NCO of the Year for the Europe region, move on to the Army Best Warrior competition later this year.
In preparation for competition at the Army level, Sital said he would "Train, train, train, and keep training. As the IMCOM winner I'm going to keep training hard day after day after day. I'm going to give it my best and leave everything out on the table."
"As much work that you put in is what you are going to get out," said Sital.
Kasarda said he is determined to win it all.
"I can't wait to compete at the Army level," he said. "I'm not going to be stopped by my own fatigue, my own muscle failure or exhaustion. I'm going to push through it, I'm going to advance and I'm going to overcome."
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About the U.S. Army Installation Management Command:
IMCOM handles the day-to-day operations of U.S. Army installations around the globe -- We are the Army's Home. Army installations are communities that require the same types of services expected in any small city. Emergency response, housing, infrastructure, parks and recreation and child-care are just some of the things IMCOM manages in Army communities every day. Our professional workforce strives to deliver on the commitment to honor the sacrifice and service of military Families, and enable the Army Force Generation cycle.
Our vision: Innovative professionals committed to effectively delivering extraordinary services and facilities for our premier Army.
Our mission: IMCOM delivers and integrates base support to enable readiness for a self-reliant and globally-responsive all-volunteer Army.
To learn more about IMCOM:
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