OSAN AIR BASE, South Korea -- Officers, noncommissioned officers, junior Soldiers and Korean Augmentees to the U.S. Army competed in the 2016 35th Air Defense Artillery Brigade Best Warrior Competition held at several installations across the Korean Peninsula, April 11-15, 2016.
The 35th ADA Brigade holds the Best Warrior Competition annually to test Soldiers' military bearing, tactical knowledge, warrior competency, physical stamina, and expert proficiency in warrior tasks and battle drills.
Soldiers representing 2nd Battalion, 1st ADA Regiment, 6th Battalion, 52nd ADA Regiment and Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 35th ADA Brigade, competed for the title of
Best Warrior in each of the four categories to see which competitor would rise above adversity and proceed to the Eighth Army Best Warrior Competition which will be held in May.
An officer who has one win under his belt from last year is competing again this year.
"This competition is important to help us train and set goals for ourselves," 1st Lt. Gabriel Valdez, a native of San Antonio, Texas and a physician assistant with HHB, 2-1 ADA, said. "I have Soldiers under me that I learn new things from every day. I'm not only out here competing for myself, I am out here to compete for them."
The competition began April 11, 2016, on Osan Air Base with an Army Physical Fitness Test, a Soldier knowledge board, a written knowledge test and a grueling Cross Fit event. It ended April 15, 2016, on Camp Casey with an early morning 12-mile foot march with a plethora of mentally and physically demanding tasks in between.
One KATUSA struggled during the competition but never quit.
"It felt great when the U.S. Soldiers cheered me on during the times I was having trouble," said KATUSA Pfc. Gwang Moo Heo, native of Seoul, South Korea, who works town patrol for HHB, 35th ADA Brigade.
Command Sgt. Maj. Eric McCray, command sergeant major, 35th ADA Brigade stopped at Camp Casey to watch the water survivability event and he observed that it was especially difficult for the KATUSAs.
He offered words of encouragement after seeing how committed the competitors were to finishing even with their fear brought on by the deep water beneath them.
"You have to serve 21 months as a KATUSA but you sure don't have to be in this competition," McCray said. "You committed to do it and that just shows our partnership. We are reaffirming our commitment every day when you do what most people don't have the courage to do and none of it is lost on your leadership."
One KATUSA said his personal reason for being in this competition seemed to echo McCray's observations.
Heo said he actually lives in the U.S. as a Korean citizen attending Ohio State University, and he recently returned to fulfill his native country's mandatory military service. He didn't have to become a KATUSA or compete in competitions like this but something else motivated him to compete.
"From the beginning, I knew I wasn't going to win this competition but I came here to challenge myself to be a stronger person," Heo said. "Even though I finished last, I think I got what I wanted."
The winners and a complete list of competitors are as follows:
Officer First Place - 1st Lt. Gabriel Valdez, physician assistant, HHB, 2-1 ADA, hometown of San Antonio, Texas.
Officer Second Place - 2nd Lt. Derek Sanchez, tactical control officer, C Battery, 6-52 ADA, hometown of Denver, Colorado.
Officer Third Place - 1st Lt. Osvaldo Lopez, executive officer, HHB, 6-52 ADA, hometown of Mayaguez, Puerto Rico.
NCO First Place - Staff Sgt. Todd Wilson, platoon sergeant, HHB, 6-52 ADA, hometown of Mount Clemens, Michigan.
NCO Second Place - Staff Sgt. Andrew Antolini, Patriot missile system repair, F Company, 6-52 ADA, hometown of Fountain, Colorado.
NCO Third Place - Sgt. Alanson Williams, early warning systems operator, A Battery, 2-1 ADA, hometown of Mount Vernon, Illinois.
Junior Soldier First Place - Spc. Thomas Doctor, command group driver, HHB, 2-1 ADA, hometown of Oceanside, California.
Junior Soldier Second Place Tie - Pfc. Antonio Navarro, utility equipment repair specialist, F Company, 6-52 ADA, hometown of Spring Valley, California.
Junior Soldier Second Place Tie - Pvt. Dante Smith, signal support specialist, A Battery, 6-52 ADA, hometown of Orlando, Florida.
KATUSA First Place - Sgt. Seungoo Han, human resources specialist, C Battery, 6-52 ADA, hometown of Mokpo, South Korea.
KATUSA Second Place - Cpl. Kyungjoon Lee, human resources specialist, HHB, 2-1 ADA, hometown of Seoul, South Korea.
KATUSA Third Place - Pfc. Gwang Moo Heo, town patrol, HHB, 35th ADA Brigade, hometown of Seoul, South Korea.
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