FORT CARSON, Colo. -- Sgt. Jeremy Wood was so fired up to be a Soldier that he couldn't even wait for his 18th birthday. At 17, he walked into an upstate New York recruiting center and bypassed the Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps offices like a man on a mission.
"I just knew the Army was the best thing for me," he said of that fateful day five years ago.
The only negative thing about that experience was knowing he would have to wait a year to finish high school.
Unlike most young people, he had also already decided on a career -- law enforcement. So he entered the Army's Delayed Entry Program, took some online courses that helped him progress in rank and met his recruiter a couple of times a month for pre-enlistment training.
Nearly five years later, it's no wonder that Wood, 110th Military Police Company, 759th MP Battalion, will represent Fort Carson at the III Corps NCO Best Warrior Competition June 22- 26, 2015 at Fort Hood, Texas. The zeal with which he started his Army career not only carried him through the first few years of his enlistment, it's helped transform him into one of the Army's top NCOs.
"I started out as a gunner at my first duty station," he said. "And, I loved it. Then I was a driver and loved that, too."
He learned a lot along the way as well. So much that he often leans on the lessons learned from his many influential mentors.
"Life as an NCO means you're a supervisor," said the 23-year old. "When you're a young Soldier, you have to worry about showing up and paying attention to detail, (such as) wearing your uniform the right way or cleaning your weapon. As an NCO, you don't stop worrying about yourself, but you also have to put your Soldiers first, make sure they are doing things the right way."
That eagerness might explain how Wood not only earned Soldier of the Year at the 1st Infantry Division in 2011, but followed it up by winning NCO of Year here in May 2015.
The Fort Carson Best Warrior Competition pitted NCOs against each other in events that included a physical fitness test, combat testing lanes, a written exam, mystery event, combatives and an arduous oral board that covered a wide range of Army topics.
Wood rolled through Best Warrior competitions at the battalion and brigade levels earlier this year before knocking off six competitors for the NCO of Year title May 29.
"The board can be an intimidating experience because you answer questions from a board full of sergeants major," he said. "They can grill you about anything concerning the Army. For the NCO competition, they can also present you with specific scenarios and judge you on your responses. But, I've sat before boards almost 30 times now (and) I think my experience helped carry me through this one."
Wood was told he finished first in the board segment of the competition, and he grabbed another win in the combatives portion.
"It's great to win different events, but the competition organizers are looking for (a) more well-rounded NCO," Wood said. "I strive to at least place in each event, and I think I was pretty steady in this latest competition."
Despite the win, he's careful not to get over-confident heading into the III Corps competition. This will actually mark Wood's first go at the III Corps level because he deployed following his Soldier of the Year win back in 2011.
"Other than studying, I try not to think about the competition," he said. "Though I'm excited to compete, I just want to make myself and my Soldiers better."
Sgt. 1st Class Brian Hayes, platoon sergeant, 110th MP, said the 759th MP Bn. and 89th MP Brigade are excited to have Wood represent the MP corps at the division and at the III Corps levels.
"Sgt. Wood has strived to excel both technically and tactically in all aspects of Soldiering and leading," Hayes said. "He is an outstanding example of what today's NCO corps needs and expects from its leaders. He has sacrificed his personal time to continue to lead and educate his Soldiers while continually bettering his career."
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