FORT BRAGG, N.C. (Sept. 22, 2011) - They came from the 16 major subordinate commands across U.S. Army Forces Command to compete.
They all knew their stuff, and each one had to be tough.
They were vying to become the FORSCOM Career Counselor of the Year for either the Active or Reserve Component.
The two-day (Sept. 20-21) competition started off with an Army Physical Fitness Test, followed by a tour of the 82nd Airborne Division Museum to get them feeling extra hooah.
The afternoon was dedicated to taking a challenging written examination that tested their technical skill.
Day two had each Soldier go before a selection board presided over by the FORSCOM command career counselor and other Army command career counselors, who judged the contenders on appearance, poise and knowledge related to their important job of keeping good Soldiers in the service.
At the end of the day, the 16 non-commissioned officers gathered with their senior NCO sponsors for the big decision.
"Regardless of whoever is the overall selectee, you are all winners; but the true winners are the commanders and Soldiers out there that you help take care of," Brig. Gen. Thomas C. Seamands, head of FORSCOM's G-1 section, which has responsibility for personal matters, told them.
"We are a nation that has been at war for ten years, and keeping the Soldiers we need in uniform wouldn't happen without the hard work you're doing."
After he thanked the career counselors, the winners of the competition were announced.
Sgt. 1st Class Mayline G. Vargas from Fort Hood, Texas, was named the FORSCOM Reserve Component career counselors of the year.
Staff Sgt. Yelixa Mawhorr from Fort Stewart, Ga., was named the FORSCOM Active Component career counselor of the year.
Sgt. 1st Class Richard A. Queen from Fort Carson, Col., and Sgt. 1st Class Michelle R. Smith from Fort Bliss, Texas, were the first runners up for the Reserve and the Active Components respectively.
Mawhorr seemed to wrap up everyone's feelings about the professionalism of the whole experience when she said, "You are all outstanding. You didn't act like this was a competition. You were friendly with each other. You talked. You shared advice. Thank you."
Vargas and Mawhorr will go on to face the Secretary of the Army's board.
The other career counselors who took part in the competition were
Active Component:
Staff Sgt. Jacqelyn M. Lewis, Fort Carson, Col.
Staff Sgt. Jacob M. Tuttle, 20th SUPCOM, Fort Campbell, Ky.
Sgt. 1st Class Allen N. Dieterle, Fort Drum, N.Y.
Sgt. 1st Class Teresa M. Williams, XVIII Airborne Corps, Fort Bragg, N.C.
Staff Sgt. Hyking S. Richards, Fort Hood, Texas
Staff Sgt. Jessica R. Lloyd, 82nd Airborne Div., Fort Bragg, N.C.
Staff Sgt. Adon M. Torres, 32d AAMDC, Fort Bliss, Texas
Staff Sgt. Marshall A. Boden, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.
Staff Sgt. Robert M. Lockhart, Fort Sill, Texas
Staff Sgt. James O. Oconnell, 101st Airborne Div. Fort Campbell, Ky.
Reserve Component:
Sgt. 1st Class Robert C. Lockert, Fort Riley, Kan.
Sgt. 1st Class Corey D. Parrish, Fort Bliss, Texas
FORSCOM is the Army's largest command and is responsible for preparing conventional forces to provide a sustained flow of trained and ready land power to Combatant Commanders in defense of the Nation at home and abroad.
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