FORT SILL, Okla., May 5, 2016 -- The post's annual Drill Sergeant of the Year (DSoY) contest kicked off April 25 as 10 drill sergeants competed at Treadwell Tower and other locations.
The competition selects the best drill sergeant from Fort Sill who will move on to compete for the Army's DSoY title against noncommissioned officers from other posts.
The weeklong competition evaluated drill sergeants on their abilities to teach basic combat training Soldiers, as well as perform warrior tasks and qualify on their weapons. The competition also included an Army Physical Fitness (APFT) and combatives tests, written and oral communication skills, and Army knowledge.
Competitors worked through each event unaware of what next task they would encounter or how they scored on a particular test.
To make it to DSoY, the drill sergeants went through a battery-level contests that consisted of an APFT, rifle marksmanship, land navigation, learning modules, and hands-on and certification tasks. Drill sergeants competed first at the battery level with the 26 winners moving on to decide 10 battalion slots. Those final 10 vied for brigade honors.
"DSoY candidates need to be at the top of the mark for this compitition. Everything's just right, my body, my mind," said Staff Sgt. Nicholas Bogert, F Battery, 1st Battalion, 40th Field Artillery.
Current Fort Sill DSoY Staff Sgt. Franco Peralta, designed the course to reflect what the winner will face at the Training and Doctrine Command contest at Fort Jackson, S.C., in September.
"It's challenging and separates you from your peers and distinguishes you as the best of the best as drill sergeants," said Peralta. "I modeled this year's course after the national competition but made it harder and added some other events so our Soldiers would be better prepared for the September competition."
The Fort Sill DSoY acts as the liaison between the nearly 300 drill sergeants and the 434th FA Brigade commander and command sergeant major.
Together, they work to train and shape young men and women into becoming Soldiers during basic combat training.
"We are the mold for new recruits and we watch for potential future drill sergeants," said Peralta.
Over the past year, Peralta has been busy certifying new drill sergeants and is now working with Reserve drill sergeants coming in for the summer surge.
As part of the DSoY competition, 30 new recruits were brought in from D Battery, 1st Battalion, 40th Field Artillery.
"The recruits received no special credit for their participation but they did gain some knowledge that they will use during their boot camp training," said Peralta.
434th FA Brigade Command Sgt. Maj. Taylor Poindexter gave a little pep talk and instructions on what to expect when the candidates faced the board as their final event.
"We are going at this hard and fast, you are going to be grilled with a lot of questions so go in there and do your best," he said. "Don't let this be what makes or breaks you, this is just the board review."
NCOs who competed were: Staff Sgt David Anderson, C/1-19th FA; Staff Sgt Nicholas Bogert, F/1-40th FA; Staff Sgt Carlos Castillo, E/1-31st FA; Staff Sgt Patrick Cunningham, B/1-19th FA; Staff Sgt John Greiten, D/1-19th FA; Staff Sgt Richard Hobson, F/1-40th FA; Staff Sgt Harold Leiter, C /1-79th FA; Staff Sgt Dustin Randall, B/1-79th FA; Sgt. 1st Class Miguel Rosascruz, E/1-40th FA; and Staff Sgt Marie Rubin, A/1-19th FA.
The May 12 Tribune will run an article on the winner, which will be announced May 6.
Social Sharing