Platoon Sergeant (Sgt. 1st Class) Kevin Everett, 2nd Battalion, 6th Air Defense Artillery, wriggles through the low crawl obstacle March 13 at the Combat Confidence Course during the post's inaugural Platoon Sergeant of the Year competition. Everett ...

FORT SILL, Okla. (21 March 2013) -- Platoon Sergeant (Sgt. 1st Class) Kevin Everett, 2nd Battalion, 6th Air Defense Artillery was named the Fires Center of Excellence and Fort Sill Platoon Sergeant of the Year March 20 during a ceremony here.

Seven platoon sergeants from the 428th Field Artillery and 30th Air Defense Artillery brigades competed for the title March 12-15.

The competition tested the sergeants not only on their own knowledge, strength and adaptability, but also their ability to teach various tasks to AIT Soldiers. Great efforts were taken to ensure the competitors had no prior knowledge of the evaluated events until the day of the competition.

Other platoon sergeants competing for the honor from the 428th FA Brigade were: Sgts. 1st Class Marcus Sumler and Francisco Torres, 1st Battalion, 78th FA.

30th ADA Brigade competitors were: Sgt. 1st Class Brian Lamberth and Staff Sgt. Jeremy Mapel, 2nd Battalion, 6th ADA; and Sgt. 1st Class Andrea Garza and Staff Sgt. Dustin Sigmon, 3rd Battalion, 6th ADA.

The timeline of events were:

March 12 -- Warrior task and battle drills; Engagement Skills Trainer 2000, testing M-16, M249 and pistol marksmanship; Drill and ceremonies; Combatives; Master Resiliency Training; and 3-mile ruck march.

March 13: 9-mile ruck march; Combat Confidence Course; Modified Army Fitness test consisting of cumulative time to complete 100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups and a 2½-mile run; Rucksack inspection; and 90 minutes to complete three written essays on a) why should the sergeant be the Platoon Sergeant of the Year; b) what would he/she change about the Advanced Individual Training Platoon Sergeant program; and c) how effective their respective squad leaders are and how they are used.

March 14: Land navigation: platoon sergeants had four hours to find 10 scattered points, plus a written land navigation test; and a Training and Doctrine Command rules and regulations multiple choice test.

March 15: Physical Readiness Training Board where competitors were graded on their instruction of physical training to 3-6th ADA AIT Soldiers.