CAMP ATTERBURY, Ind.--Four Soldiers went head to head during the First Army Division East Best Warrior Competition conducted at Camp Atterbury, Ind. Sept. 27-29, 2016.
The participants, from various brigades of 1AE, competed in a vast array of events designed to test their overall basic Soldier skills, which would ultimately declare the winner -- Soldier of the Quarter.
Prior to the competition, Sgt. 1st Class David Renteria, the communications noncommissioned officer in charge for the 1st Battalion, 335th Infantry Regiment, 157th Infantry Brigade described his game plan for the events.
"My overall strategy is to try to do the best I can with the knowledge I have," said Renteria. "If I'm unsure or unfamiliar with something, I'm either going to try and find the answer as quick as possible or find the best tactical approach to the problem."
In the dark and early hours of the first day, participants headed into the woods with map and compass in hand to find points of a land navigation course. Next, they made their way to another event where they had to "call for fire" on an enemy position.
Competitors then received nine rounds of ammunition with which to zero their M-4 carbine rifles and then attempt to qualify on a pop-up rifle qualification range.
With no break in-between events, participants moved on to an obstacle course followed by a medical evaluation lane where they had to treat and move a 200 lbs. simulated casualty to an undetermined point.
Throughout the following two days, Soldiers were met with more of the same including a 12-mile ruck march, stress-shoot lane, Army Physical Fitness Test, U.S. Army Combatives competition and a culminating administrative board.
"The Best Warrior Competition is all about readiness," Master Sgt. Donald Spock, an observer coach/ trainer with the 157th Infantry Brigade. "A Soldier can come here and prove to themselves that they can do this competition and hopefully motivate others to come out here and try to improve themselves."
As First Army Division East Soldiers, the participants are also observer coach/trainers, skilled professionals who are tasked with leading and evaluating other Soldiers during military training exercises.
"We are supposed to be the cream of the crop of the Army who go out and train units on what they need to do; what they need to look like, act like and be like," added Spock. "It's important for an OC/T to come out here and do these things. When they go back to their unit, they understand what they need to do to be successful in today's Army."
"It reiterates why we're Soldiers and what we do," said Sgt. 1st Class Joi Friend, a chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear OC/T with 1st Battalion, 409th Calvary Regiment, 4th Cavalry Brigade. "Our skills, our tasks, our battle drills: usually we say it's just normal Soldier stuff, but, under the right conditions, you really have to put what you know to the test."
Renteria was ultimately declared First Army Division East's Soldier of the Quarter after three days of rigorous competition.
"It feels great," Renteria said. "I worked hard for it, and I'm happy I was able to win."
"The toughest moment during the competition for me was probably the board. I don't really do well in front of audiences. The part I really excelled at was the ruck march. I've working and building myself up for it."
"I wanted to do my best and just never quite or give up. No task is too tough. If you get out there and give it your best, you'll be surprised at what you can accomplish is you put your mind to it."
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