Sgt. 1st Class Nicole Barnett, a drill sergeant with C Battery, 1st Battalion, 22nd Field Artillery, 434th Field Artillery Brigade, flanked by 434th FA command team of Col. Daniel D. Blackmon, left, and Command Sgt. Major Scott A. Slater, earned the coveted Fires Center of Excellence Drill Sergeant of the Year during a ceremony June 9 2022.

Fires Center of Excellence and Fort Sill Command Sergeant Major Stephen Burnley presents a K-Bar knife to Sgt. 1st Class Nicole Barnett, a drill sergeant with C Battery, 1st Battalion, 22nd Field Artillery, 434th Field Artillery Brigade — the 2022 FCoE Drill Sergeant of the Year.

From left, 2022 FCoE DSOY Sgt. 1st Class Nicole Barnett and fellow competitors Staff Sgt. Riquante Brown, 428th FA; Staff Sgt. Benito Carrion, 434th FA; Staff Sgt. Gilbert Gomex; 434th FA and Staff Sgt. Adrian Rolon, 434 FA. Fires Center of Excellence and Fort Sill Command Sgt. Major Stephen Burnley gave opening remarks during the ceremony June 9 2022.

Sgt. 1st Class Nicole Barnett, a drill sergeant with C Battery, 1st Battalion, 22nd Field Artillery, 434th Field Artillery Brigade earned the title Fires Center of Excellence and Fort Sill's Drill Sergeant of the Year during a ceremony at Snow Hall, June 9 2022.

FORT SILL, Oklahoma (June 9 2022,) — After an intense week of competition, Fires Center of Excellence and Fort Sill announced the winner of the 2022 Drill Sergeant of the Year.

Sgt. 1st Class Nicole Barnett, a drill sergeant with C Battery, 1st Battalion, 22nd Field Artillery, 434th Field Artillery Brigade took home the top honor during a ceremony at Snow Hall, Thursday.

“My mentorship and leadership are needed and that’s why I accepted the challenge to enter this competition and it was some great competition this week,” Barnett said. “I’m excited because this is a new opportunity for me to go to [Training and Doctrine Command] and represent Fort Sill. To me, that’s a huge accomplishment.”

Barnett competed against four other drill sergeants from across Fort Sill including Staff Sgt. Riquante Brown, 428th FA; Staff Sgt. Benito Carrion, 434th FA; Staff Sgt. Gilbert Gomex; 434th FA and Staff Sgt. Adrian Rolon, 434 FA.

“We’re super proud of Drill Sergeant Barnett,” said Col. Daniel D. Blackmon, 434th FA commander. “She’s an amazing drill sergeant and I would expect nothing less from her here in this competition and further on.”

Each drill sergeant is tested on physical abilities, knowledge of leadership duties and responsibilities, Soldier issues, warrior tasks and battle drills, their ability to instruct and on the basic combat training program of instruction. The competition is designed to stress the candidates, push their physical and mental limits and see their performance and level of professionalism while under stress.

“This week has been one of the most physically demanding and mentally tough assessments a drill sergeant will ever face,” said Fort Sill Command Sergeant Major Stephen Burnley. “You should feel as proud as I do of these remarkable leaders and experts.”

Before this week’s competition, which began Monday, June 6, drill sergeants from across Fort Sill competed in unit level events at different echelons to be selected as representatives of their brigades for the opportunity to be the Fire Center of Excellence and Fort Sill Drill Sergeant of the Year — affectionately known as the DSOY.

Barnett will advance to the Army-wide competition at the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command, Fort Eustis, Virginia where she will face off against the Army's best trained, noncommissioned officers from across the nation.

For four days, those competitors must perform and master all associated tasks and drills from basic combat training. To win, and be named DSOY, they must not only be experts in training Soldiers, but also be the best of the best and rise above the competition.

“I’m looking for some strong competition when I get there,” said Barnett. “I’ve seen a few of the competitors and it’s going to be an intense competition.”

This Week Drill Sergeants are testing their skills as they compete for the title of the twenty twenty-two FIres Center of Excellence Drill Sergeant of the year.

The week-long competition includes the Army Combat Fitness Test, a Knowledge Board, where they present themselves in front of the FCOE’s Sergeants Major. They must also complete the combat obstacle course, weapons qualification, land navigation and several ruck marches. All the while, they are tested on soldiering and Drill Instructor based knowledge.

The Drill Sergeants are not only competing against each other but also having to overcome mental and physical obstacles within themselves. Congratulations to DS Nicole Barnett of the 434th Field Artillery Brigade.

https://www.dvidshub.net/video/846676/fires-center-excellence-2022-drill-sergeant-year-competition