FORT SILL, Okla.- The late sportscaster Howard Cosell once said "The ultimate victory in competition is derived from the inner satisfaction of knowing that you have done your best and that you have gotten the most out of what you had to give." Knowing they have done their best and they got the most out of what they gave, is what eight Soldiers from throughout 31st Air Defense Artillery Brigade recently strived for.
On February 5th these eight Soldier began competing for the title of "Best Archer Warrior" within 31st ADA Brigade. This competition brought together both physical and mental challenges that pushed these Soldiers to strive for excellence. The Best Archer Competition is held to identify the two best Soldiers from 31st ADA Brigade to represent them at the Annual Blackjack Competition hosted by their higher headquarters 32nd Army Air and Missile Defense Command, Fort Bliss, Tx.
"The spirit of competition can bring out the best in a Soldier, and when you have a group like this competing for the same title it also develops comradery among them as well," said Sgt. Maj. Christopher Moore, operations Sgt. Maj. for 31st ADA.
"Watching them compete against each other and helping each other out during some of the more strenuous and exhausting events is what makes this competition great."
The Best Archer Competition consisted of an Army Physical Training Test, Army Warrior Task Lanes, Urban Orienteering, In-Ranks Inspection and a Knowledge Board. These events helped to identify who were the two most physically and mentally tough Soldiers in the brigade.
Staff Sgt. Asyah Moore, assigned to Delta Battery, 4-3 ADA said, "I enjoyed this competition, the fellow NCO and Soldiers were great, great comradery even though we all wanted to win. I learned a lot along the way, I really enjoyed the urban orienteering, and it involved certain hands-on aspects that we need to know how to do."
Overall this competition was met with enthusiasm and spirit to win. Sgt. Francisco Flores, assigned to Headquarters, Headquarters Battery, 31st BDE said, "This competition was very fun and challenging, I love the aspect of competition as it promotes success, it was great to meet and learn alongside fellow NCO from the brigade."
For new Soldiers to the Army this was a chance to learn and use skills that they may not have used before. Pfc. Jacob Richards, assigned to Headquarters, Headquarters Battery, 3-2 ADA said, "These events were awesome, it allowed us to use a wide variety of skills and as a new Soldier getting to use these skills were great. I learned that you have to prepare and there is never too much studying, you can always learn more."
Separating yourself from your peers can be difficult in such a big organization so competing in events like this allows Soldiers to stand-out among their peers and promote success. Being a Soldier is more than just knowing your job, but being able to perform a wide-variety of skills and tasks at a moment's notice.
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