Eleven noncommissioned officers and three Soldiers competed in the 32nd Medical Brigade Best Warrior Competition held in June at Joint Base San Antonio-Camp Bullis. Staff Sgt. Seamus Bradley and Pfc. Rafael Martinez were chosen to represent the brigade at the U.S. Army Medical Command level competition.
Day one of the competition began with the Army physical fitness test, weapons qualifications with an M16 rifle, daytime land navigation, a multiple choice test and an essay. The day ended with the night land navigation which, for some, did not finish until 6 a.m. the following morning.
After the second day began with a 6-mile road march through hills and uneven terrain, the competitors were tested on their knowledge of medical skills, warrior task and battle drills.
Testing began with the assembling and reassembling of an M16 rifle, reacting to indirect and direct fire, reacting to an explosive device, and the treatment and evacuation of a wounded Soldier.
The next competition - a mystery event the competitors had no prior knowledge of - tested the knowledge of a field ambulance.
The final test was an oral board that consisted of a five-member panel of senior NCOs that covered 23 subject areas and four situational questions from each area.
"It was very difficult. The hills were steeper than I thought they would be, the terrain was rougher and the rocks were bigger," said Bradley, who finished the road march in 1 hour and 17 minutes. "After having been up for so long doing land navigation, it was the hardest road march I've ever done."
Command Sgt. Maj. Jayme Johnson of the 32nd Medical Brigade presented various prizes and awards to the winners and certificates of appreciation to all the participants at a special ceremony held in July at Beethoven Halle and Garten.
"I want to thank my company commander, my first sergeant, and all the NCOs for always teaching me how to maintain myself and be a Soldier," said Martinez. "They showed me the right way to do things and taught me everything I need to know to be a good Soldier and how to conduct myself off duty."
"I want to thank my fellow competitors, you definitely raised the bar," Bradley said. "I was chasing you the whole time, trying to figure out where I stood. Every time I turned around, someone was doing something better. It was a team effort and a fun event."
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