FORT SILL, Okla., May 12, 2016 -- Drill Sergeant (Staff Sgt.) Dustin Randall, 1st Battalion, 79th Field Artillery, became Fort Sill's Drill Sergeant of the Year (DSoY) May 6. Randall bested 25 competitors for the honor, which was announced at the 95th Adjutant General Battalion reception complex.
The week-long competition was organized by 2015 DSoY Staff Sgt. Franco Peralta. Only 10 competitors remained after the first phase, which included, rucksack runs, Army physical fitness test, marksmanship and training classes.
In the coming months, Peralta will assist Randall in representing Fort Sill during the Training and Doctrine Command competition Sept. 7-11, at Fort Jackson, S.C., home of the drill sergeant training school. Randall, who has been in the Army 8-1/2 years, said he was proud his name was called by 434th Field Artillery Brigade Command Sgt. Maj. Taylor Poindexter.
"The next step for me is to win TRADOC and go from there," said Randall, after receiving the award. "I've been going at it since January, so the next two weeks, I think I'll back off and shut the system down, reboot it and get back to the drawing board and start studying to get back at it again."
Randall said last week's competition was a good test of his limits and is honored to be named the winner.
"I've got some really excellent drill sergeants to my left and right," he said. "The bottom line is to win TRADOC."
When Randall started training for the competition in January, he knew it would take a combination of physical strength, endurance, skills and mental ability to earn the title of Fort Sill DSoY.
He studied all required manuals and regulations, while pushing his physical workouts with running and weight lifting. Despite the extra work Randall put into preparing for the competition, he still had some struggles. He said there were times when he lost confidence, and other times he felt he had this.
"The 12-mile rucksack run was the most difficult part for me. Running that far with a 45-pound rucksack was grueling," said Randall. "Overall, I'm happy. This means a lot to me."
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