REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala. -- Two of the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command/Army Forces Strategic Command's best Soldiers recently competed to become the best of the best in the 2014 Department of the Army noncommissioned officer and Soldier of the Year.
Staff Sgt. Brian Hester, an air defense enhanced early warning system operator assigned to C Detachment, 1st Space Company, Osan Air Base, South Korea; and Spc. Chase Teats, a satellite network controller assigned to B Company, 53rd Signal Battalion, at Fort Meade, Md., competed against 26 of the Army's best Soldiers, representing 13 other commands from across the Army in the 2014 Best Warrior Competition at Fort Lee, Va., Oct. 6-9.
Described as the "Super Bowl" of Army competitions, the Best Warrior Competition celebrates its 13th anniversary this year.
"I competed last year as a new NCO in the Army, and did well and enjoyed the experience, so I pushed myself to come back again this year, and to really try my best to win," Hester said. "It means a lot to be selected as a Best Warrior. You get to place yourself among the top personnel in the U.S. Army and see if you have what it takes to win overall. It is a great honor to represent my command at DA level, and I hope I don't let them down.
Sgt. Maj. of the Army Ray Chandler oversaw the annual competition, which names the Department of the Army's best NCO and Soldier.
The Soldiers represented in the competition compete on behalf of these Army commands: U.S. Army Forces Command, U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command, U.S. Army Europe, U.S. Army Africa, U.S. Army Materiel Command, U.S. Army Medical Command, U.S. Army Pacific Command, USASMDC/ARSTRAT, U.S. Army Special Operations Command, U.S. Army Installation Management Command, U.S. Army Reserve Command, U.S. Army National Guard, U.S. Army Service Component Command and the National Capitol Region, which includes several smaller commands.
"It was an absolute honor to have competed in the DA competition," Teats said. "There is nothing better than working so hard for months and being able to apply that hard work in a competition of that magnitude. The competition was fierce. Everyone who was selected to compete showed up to win."
Soldiers selected to compete for the prestigious titles have mastered a series of benchmarks throughout the year to qualify for the Army-wide Best Warrior Competition. Those competing for the Soldier of the Year title include the ranks of private through specialist. Warriors competing for the NCO of the Year title include ranks corporal through sergeant first class. All Army active duty, National Guard and Reserve Soldiers are eligible to compete.
"The 2014 Best Warrior Competition may have been one of the most competitive competitions to date," said SMDC Headquarters and Headquarters Company 1st Sgt. Aaron W. Wheeler. "There was a diverse group of NCOs and Soldiers representing each major command within the Army. I think Fort Lee did an excellent job hosting the event and the competitors demonstrated a high level of competence, motivation and determination.
"I am extremely proud of Staff Sgt. Hester and Spc. Teats," he continued. "They epitomized everything that is good about being a Soldier within SMDC. They displayed confidence, determination and committed themselves to excellence. What impressed me the most about their performance was that even though they aren't assigned to a tactical organization like the 101st Airborne (Air Assault) Division or 82nd Airborne Division, they were just as proficient, and in some cases more proficient, in the Army warrior tasks and battle drills than other competitors. I couldn't think of two people to represent the command any better.
"Hopefully their performance and experience at the Best Warrior Competition this year will encourage other Soldiers within the command to accept the challenge of being the 2015 SMDC Best Warrior," Wheeler added.
During the four-day competition, the competitors tested their Army aptitude and conquered urban warfare simulations, physical fitness tests, written exams, and Warrior tasks and battle drills relevant to today's operating environment.
"The most difficult aspect of the competition, I felt, was the essay portion," Teats said. "The cadre at the competition have you doing so many tasks just to prepare on day zero, then you go straight into writing two 500-word essays in 30 minutes.
"My favorite part of the competition would have to be the warrior tasks and battle drills," he added. "I have always enjoyed performing under loud, stressful situations. The events we completed during the Warrior Tasks and Battle Drills did an amazing job of simulating combat scenarios that required you to think on the move."
In addition, the Soldiers went before a selection board of six senior sergeants major from across the Army. The boards, chaired by the sergeant major of the Army, evaluate competitor appearance, military bearing and knowledge of critical Army topics.
"To be the Best Warrior it means that I have proved myself at the highest level of competition," Teats said when asked what it means to be in the Best Warrior Competition and to represent the command at the department of the Army level. "By representing my command at the DA level, I know that I am setting an example for my peers to follow.
The competition winners were announced Oct. 9, and even though Hester and Teats were not victorious, Teats was named as the second runner up.
"I felt that I had performed well during the competition and was still in shock when I was announced as the second runner up," Teats said. "Every competitor in the competition was a true professional. Having competed at the highest level, against the best, it's awesome to know that I finished in the top three.
"This competition has taught me so much about myself," he added. "I have learned that commitment and hard work can take you a long way. I have also gained so much knowledge from the competition that I will be able to share with my unit. I would absolutely do it again."
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