Ironhorse career counselor earns 2nd place at U.S. Forces Command competition

By Staff Sgt. Keith AndersonFebruary 10, 2015

Stand out career counselor
FORT BRAGG, North Carolina - Staff Sgt. Israel Herrera, career counselor for both the 91st Engineer Battalion and the 1st Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team "Ironhorse," 1st Cavalry Division, reports before the ... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

FORT HOOD, Texas -- A career counselor from 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team "Ironhorse," 1st Cavalry Division, earned 2nd place Jan. 29 in the 2014 U.S. Forces Command Career Counselor of the Year competition.

Staff Sgt. Israel Herrera, career counselor for both the 91st Engineer Battalion and the 1st Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment, 1st ABCT, competed in the FORSCOM-level competition from Jan. 27 to 29 at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, representing the nearly 40 brigades of III Corps.

"Representing Ironhorse at Fort Bragg was an honor," said Herrera. "And competing with outstanding career counselors from all over the U.S. was an amazing opportunity to grow as a career counselor and as a noncommissioned officer."

The San Pedro, California, native said ultimately, though, it is not about competitions or honors.

"I work to be the best career counselor I can be, because it makes a difference in the lives of Soldiers and their families," he said. "That is why I get up every morning and go to work."

The competition at U.S. Forces Command was divided into three parts, with a physical fitness test, a written test, and a board with situational questions for the career counselors to unravel and make recommendations for the best options for Soldiers.

"Staff Sergeant Herrera prepared himself extremely well by performing additional daily physical fitness workouts, by studying regulatory and policy guidance over hundreds of hours, and by preparing for the board to convey the message in the most professional manner," said Master Sgt. Luis Sanchez, senior career counselor, 1ABCT. "He was commended for receiving the highest points during the board portion of the competition."