After a rigorous day of competition, two winners emerged from the 2013 Fort Belvoir Noncommissioned Officer/Soldier of the Year challenge at Fort A.P. Hill, Va., last week.
Ten competitors from four different units battled in five different events, Oct. 15 to get back to the basics of being Soldiers.
In the end, Sgt. Derrick Beamer, 55th Explosive Ordnance Disposal, earned the title of NCO of the year and Spc. Allen Atchley, 12th Aviation Battalion, earned Soldier of the Year.
"I thought it was a good competition," Beamer said after earning the victory. "These guys really tried their hardest."
The competitors completed a physical fitness test, ruck-march, qualification with an M16 rifle, target practice with a Barrett M107 Long Range Sniper Rifle and a board interview. Each event was graded on a 100 point scale. Competition was open to Soldiers of all experience levels and each competitor had a sponsor, who served as a coach/mentor.
The target practice with the Barrett M107 was a mystery event and the nature of the event was not revealed until the day of the competition.
The 911th Technical Rescue Engineer Company and the Fort Belvoir Community Hospital also fielded competitors, helping the participants feel like Soldiers again, according to Garrison Command Sgt. Maj. Chester D. Grelock. It reminds them why they joined the military and helps them hone their Soldier skills.
"It is a snapshot for how good you are today," Grelock said. "That is why they did it."
The competition began with an early morning physical fitness test. Soldiers completed push-ups and sit-ups in the grass at Fort A.P. Hill before they ran two miles. The sponsors encouraged the competitors during the run.
After the run, Soldiers completed a timed 3.5-mile ruck-march with rucksacks weighing at least 40 pounds. Following the march, the competitors zeroed their weapons and qualified using an M16.
The next event was the Barrett M107 target practice. During the event, competitors had ten opportunities to hit targets. Shooting the sniper rifle was very exciting for the Soldiers, according to Spc. John Barrington, 911th Technical Rescue Engineer Company. He eagerly awaited his chance to fire the weapon.
"It is my first time ever shooting it," Barrington said. "It is a lot of guys' first time ever shooting it. I just can't wait to get out there and get to knock down some targets."
The culminating event was an interview with five board members. Each board member was a command sergeant major and they each asked at least two questions during the interview. The competitors were quizzed on Soldier duties and other information they should know, appropriate to their rank and experience, said Spc. Christopher Sarracino, Fort Belvoir Garrison, administrative assistant to garrison command sergeant major. Competitors had to be familiar with the Soldier's Manual and be proficient in the duties required for their skill level.
None of the competitors did significantly better than anyone else in any of the events, and there were no perfect scores, Sarracino said. He added that some of the Soldiers were a little nervous and did not do quite as well as he thought they would.
The competition is important because it helps Soldiers maintain their military performance standards.
"There weren't any losers," Sarracino said. "Everyone came out and did their best, and it was a very good competition."
Sgt. Stanley Ostrowski, 911th Technical Rescue Engineer Company, sponsored Barrington during the competition. He said his role as a sponsor was to encourage Barrington and give him anything that he needed, including water or a Meal Ready-To-Eat.
Ostrowski said it was great to see all of the Soldiers show up with motivation, adding that the competition is an important one.
"It gives the Soldiers a sense of overall achievement," he said. "I think it sets them up for success. It should be, actually, fun for them."
Sgt. Joshua Bates, Fort Belvoir Community Hospital, said it was great to shoot the Barrett M107 and it was an unusual event for an NCO/Soldier of the Year competition. He also liked the physical fitness test and the ruck-march.
"It is nice to be out of the hospital and to do real Army things, as opposed to hospital things," Bates said. "It is good."
Atchley did a great job during the competition, according to Sgt. Zachary Smith, 12th Aviation Battalion, and Atchley's sponsor.
"This is the most units I've ever seen out here," Smith said. "It kind of gets the garrison together to compete together."
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