FORT MCCOY, Wis. " Soldiers competing at the Army Reserve’s Best Warrior Competition at Fort McCoy, Wis., were tested Tuesday on how to treat casualties in the first “mystery event” of the competition.
“We do mystery events so that soldiers don’t know what they are going to be coming out to do, so it’s not just figuring out something that they memorized, but it’s something that comes from within,” said Master Sgt. James Stoots, a cadre member for the event. “They are the real Soldier and that’s what we are trying to pick out.”
Tuesday’s medical treatment event involved three scenarios for which Soldiers needed to evaluate and provide buddy aid to simulated casualties. It was the first of multiple mystery events in the Best Warrior Competition.
Spc. Wade Saunders, from the 415th Chemical Brigade in Greenville, S.C., said the scenarios made an impact on him.
“As I was doing it I thought about the emotions I’d have if this mannequin was really my buddy and if I was saving his life, how important that would be to me and how prepared I would want to be for that event if I ever have to deal with that,” Saunders said.
Saunders is one of 43 Soldiers from the 205,000-strong Army Reserve selected to compete in the Best Warrior Competition, held this week (June 20-24) at Fort McCoy, Wis.
Two winners will be selected as the Army Reserve’s Soldier and Non-Commissioned Officer of the year and will represent the Army Reserve at the Army’s Best Warrior Competition in October at Fort Lee, Va.
The Soldiers are spending a week on a variety of Army challenges that test their mettle in tests of skill such as weapons qualification, ruck march, land navigation, Army combatives, first aid, and weapons assembly.
Their military backgrounds and experience represent the entire spectrum of the Army Reserve. Many have deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan, and Kuwait. Their career fields include military police, healthcare, mechanics, human resources, intelligence, chaplain assistant and engineering. They represent a wide cross-section of America, hailing from various states across the United States.
The winners will be announced at an awards dinner at 5 p.m. Central time, June 24, at the American Legion Post in Sparta, Wis. The top NCO and Soldier will go on to represent Army Reserve at the Department of the Army “Best Warrior” Competition, to be held in October at Fort Lee, Va.
Related Links:
2011 U.S. Army Reserve Best Warrior Competition Photos
Soldiers compete for title of Army Reserve Best Warrior
Soldiers compete in Land Navigation to become Army Reserve Best Warrior
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