AIT Platoon Sergeant of the Year competition underway, 'out of order'

By Stephanie Slater, TRADOCSeptember 27, 2012

Command sergeants major Board, 2012 AIT PSOY competition
1 / 8 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Staff Sgt. William Harper of the U.S. Army Aviation Center of Excellence, Fort Eustis, Va., answers queries asked by members of a command sergeants major board during the 2012 Advanced Individual Training Platoon Sergeant of the Year competition at F... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Essay Writing, 2012 AIT PSOY competition
2 / 8 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Sgt. 1st Class LeArthur Williams, who represents the U.S. Army Fires Center of Excellence, Fort Sill, Okla., during the 2012 Advanced Individual Training Platoon Sergeant of the Year competition at Fort Eustis, Va., pens an essay for consideration by... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Obstacle course tunnel, 2012 AIT PSOY competition
3 / 8 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Sgt. 1st Class Aaron Baca, of the U.S. Army Intelligence Center of Excellence, crawls through a tunnel at the obstacle course as part of the 2012 Advanced Individual Training Platoon Sergeant of the Year competition, Sept. 25, 2012, at Fort Eustis, V... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
APFT pushup, 2012 AIT PSOY competition
4 / 8 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Sgt. 1st Class Devon Martellotti of the U.S. Army Maneuver Center of Excellence, rests momentarily during the pushup portion of a physical fitness test conducted as part of the 2012 Advanced Individual Training Platoon Sergeant of the Year Competitio... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Medical evacuation, 2012 AIT PSOY Competition
5 / 8 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Staff Sgt. Dana Richmond, who represents the U.S. Signal Center of Excellence, communicates via radio the condition of a role-playing wounded Soldier during the 2012 Advanced Individual Training Platoon Sergeant of the Year competition, Sept. 25, 201... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Wall clearing, 2012 AIT PSOY competition
6 / 8 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Sgt. 1st Class Kevin McDaniel, a Soldier assigned to the U.S. Maneuver Support Center of Excellence, clears a wall at the 2012 Advanced Individual Training Platoon Sergeant of the Year competition at Fort Eustis, Va., Sept. 25, 2012. McDaniel is an A... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Reporting intelligence, 2012 AIT PSOY competition
7 / 8 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Sgt. 1st Class Delroy Barnett, representing the 32nd Medical Brigade, San Antonio, Texas, reports intelligence after assembling a manpack radio during the 2012 Advanced Individual Training Platoon Sergeant of the Year competition at Fort Eustis, Va.,... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Pumping out situps, 2012 AIT PSOY competition
8 / 8 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Staff Sgt. Michael Henry with the U.S. Army Basic Combat Training Center of Excellence at Fort Jackson, S.C., pumps out situps during the physical fitness test portion of the 2012 Advanced Individual Training Platoon Sergeant of the Year competition,... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

FORT EUSTIS, Va. (Sept. 27, 2012) -- Soldiers seeking the title of 2012 Advanced Individual Training Platoon Sergeant of the Year encountered an unanticipated turn of events at the competition going on now at Fort Eustis, Va.

Competitors are purposely unaware of the order of events, but past competitions can sometimes hint a certain order. Not the case this year. The competition began with a command sergeants major board. Usually, this event takes place toward the end of the competition.

The winner, who will be announced during a ceremony Sept. 28, will serve a one-year tour at the Initial Military Training Center of Excellence, Fort Eustis, Va., as an enlisted adviser. In this role, he or she will provide ground-level experience and insight into the Army's initial entry training.

Advanced Individual Training platoon sergeants are top-performing professional noncommissioned officers from virtually all branches of the Army who play a critical role in the success of AIT training. After basic combat training, new Soldiers attend Advanced Individual Training, where they become experts in their specific military occupational specialties. The Advanced Individual Training platoon sergeants mentor the new Soldiers, working with them after classes and on weekends to teach and reinforce technical lessons and WTBD.

Related Links:

2012 PSOY Competition Photo Gallery

Army's best AIT platoon sergeants to compete for top honors

Learn about U.S. Army Advanced Individual Training

U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command

Initial Military Training Center of Excellence

Initial Military Training on Facebook

U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command on Facebook