WAIKIKI, Hawaii -- A Hawaii-based Soldier put his vast know-how to good use, recently, as a judge for the 2014 United States Academic Decathlon (USAD) national finals.

Staff Sgt. Arthur Dominguez, a contracting specialist with the 603rd Senior Contingency Contracting Team, 413th Contracting Support Brigade, volunteered to serve as a proctor for the multidisciplinary academic competition, held at the Hilton Hawaiian Village, here, April 24-26.

Among his duties, Dominguez was tasked with interviewing competitors in the areas of art, economics, language and literature, music, social studies and science, as well as overseeing the Super Quiz team relay.

"The interview portion is similar to how we would do our Army promotion boards, where we ask questions back and forth," said Dominguez. "But, instead of being on the other side of the chair, we're the ones asking questions. So, to me, it prepares the noncommissioned officer to be able to host a board."

Dominguez was approached by the nonprofit educational organization, earlier this year, to help out with the three-day event due to his previous experience as a proctor for the Texas state competition.

A native of Corpus Christi, Dominguez also had participated in similar academic decathlons for three years while in high school.

"The Texas board invited me to judge nationals, since it was here (in Hawaii)," said Dominguez, noting he was the only Soldier to assist in the competition. (All other military volunteers were from the U.S. Navy.)

"Because this year's theme was World War I, they were looking for military personnel to stand on stage to help proctor," Dominguez explained.

As the finale to the USAD season, the national competition invited qualifying high school teams from throughout the U.S. to take part in a series of 10 challenges.

According to Dominguez, 34 states were represented at the finals; additionally, three teams from China and one team from the United Kingdom were in attendance, for a total of 55 teams.

"It was a good experience, even though my teams lost," Dominguez said, with a laugh.

"The team from El Camino Real Charter High School in California won first place, and the only team from Hawaii (Kamehameha Schools) won second for Division III (small school)," he added. "Next year's USAD finals are in California, near Disneyland, so I'm hoping I'll be asked to participate again. If I'm not deployed, I've already got my housing arrangements planned!"