Soldiers vie for CASCOM Ultimate Warrior titles

By T. Anthony BellApril 23, 2015

Checking suspects
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Board appearance
2 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Sgt. Dustin Gill, the Transportation School competitor for the U.S. Army Combined Arms Support Command Noncommissioned Officer of the Year, responds to questions from members of the command sergeant major board headed by CSM Terry E. Parham Sr., CASC... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

FORT LEE, Va. (April 23, 2015) -- Four Soldiers were hailed as winners of the annual CASCOM Ultimate Warrior Competition conducted here April 14-17.

The victors are: Spc. Kendra Salem, Soldier Support Institute, Soldier of the Year; Sgt. Dustin Gill, Transportation School, Noncommissioned Officer of the year; Staff Sgt. Clark Burns, Quartermaster School, Advanced Individual Platoon Sergeant of the Year; and Sgt. Sidy Diallo, Quartermaster School, Instructor of the Year.

UWC is a skills competition that tests competitors in a wide spectrum of events designed to showcase their abilities as Soldiers. It included a physical training test, weapons qualification, board appearance, medical evacuation and a 6.5-mile ruck march.

Command Sgt. Maj. Terry E. Parham Sr. presides over the competition that draws the best Soldiers from the entire sustainment community. CASCOM's top NCO said all 12 of the competitors should be commended for their efforts.

"Every Soldier who competed is a winner," he said. "They all want to be the No. 1 Soldier who gets the medal pinned on their chest, but to me, the journey getting here is more important than the person winning it."

Diallo, representing the 23rd Quartermaster Brigade, said the journey from the start of the competition was difficult. He said the most demanding event was the ruck march.

"We started out on a gravel road, transitioned to a muddy road then crawled through some muddy water," he said. He added that a number of physical obstacles "made it mentally challenging" as well.

The board appearance was held April 16. It is an event in which Soldiers present themselves in dress uniforms to seniors NCOs. During a break in the action, Parham said all the competitors can be proud of their efforts and use their experience to better their Soldiers and units.

"I always tell Soldiers 'The more you know, the more you can show,''' he said. "When you come here and prepare, this is knowledge you can take back into the field. You will use your knowledge today, but this is knowledge that will continue to serve you as a Soldier."

No awards ceremony was immediately held for the winners. The victors will be recognized during the Army Birthday celebration here in mid-June.

Gill, Salem and Burns will now take their skills to the Training and Doctrine Command-level where they will be entered in the same competitive categories. That event is scheduled for mid-summer. The winners of the TRADOC Soldier and NCO events will move on to the Department of the Army Best Warrior Competition scheduled for October at Fort A.P. Hill.