NCO Week celebrates US Army Central enlisted

By Sgt. Brandon HubbardOctober 31, 2016

NCO Week celebrates US Army Central enlisted
1 / 11 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Soldiers push a golf cart around a softball field as part of the NCO Week games at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, Oct. 14, 2016. The subordinate units in the 160th Signal Brigade from Afghanistan and Qatar fielded teams to compete in the games. (U.S. Army pho... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
NCO Week celebrates US Army Central enlisted
2 / 11 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Staff Sgt. Chris Polanco, from the Southwest Asia Cyber Center, pushes down a tractor tire during the 160th Signal Brigade NCO Week games Oct. 14, 2016 at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait. The Army Central Soldiers, who support communications throughout the Cent... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
NCO Week celebrates US Army Central enlisted
3 / 11 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Staff Sgt. Chris Polanco, from the Southwest Asia Cyber Center, pushes a tractor tire during the 160th Signal Brigade NCO Week games Oct. 14, 2016 at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait. The Army Central Soldiers, who support communications throughout the Central C... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
NCO Week celebrates US Army Central enlisted
4 / 11 Show Caption + Hide Caption – A Soldier from the 56th Signal Company sprints 100 meters with water jugs during NCO Week at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, Oct. 14, 2016. The competition featured the best noncommissioned officers from the units in the brigade, which is a critical signal cor... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
NCO Week celebrates US Army Central enlisted
5 / 11 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Soldiers back crawl under the hot Middle Eastern midday sun for the NCO Week fitness competition at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, Oct. 14, 2016. The competition, sponsored by the 160th Signal Brigade, challenged the top noncommissioned officers in the brigad... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
NCO Week celebrates US Army Central enlisted
6 / 11 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Command Sgt. Maj. Tara Washington, the senior enlisted advisor in the 160th Signal Brigade, celebrates the final awards for NCO Week at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, Oct. 14, 2016. The week included classes, an induction ceremony and a physical fitness cours... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
NCO Week celebrates US Army Central enlisted
7 / 11 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Soldiers from the 160th Signal Brigade ruck four-miles to begin the final competition during NCO Week at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, Oct. 14, 2016. The competition featured the best noncommissioned officers from the units in the brigade, which is a critica... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
NCO Week celebrates US Army Central enlisted
8 / 11 Show Caption + Hide Caption – A Soldier raises the final box of water bottles during an even in the NCO fitness challenge at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, Oct. 14, 2016. The week-long set of events was sponsored by the 160th Signal Brigade, who support communications and cyber operations... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
NCO Week celebrates US Army Central enlisted
9 / 11 Show Caption + Hide Caption – A staff sergeant runs with a 35-pound ruck during the four-mile ruck march to begin the 160th Signal Brigade NCO Week team competition at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, Oct. 14, 2016. The competition featured four-Soldier teams from the brigade competing in s... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
NCO Week celebrates US Army Central enlisted
10 / 11 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Soldiers push a golf cart around a softball field as part of the NCO Week games at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, Oct. 14, 2016. The subordinate units in the 160th Signal Brigade from Afghanistan and Qatar fielded teams to compete in the. (U.S. Army photo by ... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
NCO Week celebrates US Army Central enlisted
11 / 11 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Soldiers push a golf cart around a softball field as part of the NCO Week games at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, Oct. 14, 2016. The subordinate units in the 160th Signal Brigade from Afghanistan and Qatar fielded teams to compete in the. (U.S. Army photo by ... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

CAMP ARIFJAN, Kuwait - Sergeants from around the U.S. Army Central area of operations traveled to Camp Arifjan, Kuwait last month for the inaugural 160th Signal Brigade Noncommissioned Officer Week.

The week-long celebration focused on junior and senior enlisted Soldiers with a special focus on their career development and the physical readiness that makes them the backbone of the U.S. Army.

"The best part was seeing the interaction of some of my noncommissioned officers - even some of the NCOs that came from different units - coming together to show the camaraderie and esprit de corps we need in the NCO corps to be together as one team and one fight," said Command Sgt. Maj. Tara Washington, the senior enlisted advisor for the Camp Arifjan-deployed 160th Signal Brigade.

The week started with professional development courses, which included classes in financial planning and noncommissioned officer career instruction. The final two days were dedicated to welcoming new Soldiers in a traditional noncommissioned officer induction ceremony, followed by the NCO games.

"I would say another highlight, to me, was the NCO induction ceremony, because some noncommissioned officers haven't been to a ceremony or even witnessed one in 10 or 12 years," said Washington, of Goose Creek, S.C. "It was great to get back to what we do as an NCO corps."

Washington said after years of being deployed to warzones, the Army has lost some of the traditions and standards it previously lived up to because of the high-tempo deployments schedules. Functions like NCO Week can help the corps refocus, she said.

Top NCOs from the 392nd Expeditionary Support Battalion, 54th Signal Battalion and25th Signal Battalion in Afghanistan traveled to Kuwait for the week, as well as Soldiers from Qatar and other bases in Kuwait.

Sgt. 1st Class Greg Ronquille, headquarters and headquarters detachment sergeant for the 25th Signal Battalion in Camp As Sayliyah, Qatar, was on hand to support his Soldiers.

"I was very proud of our Soldiers out here," Ronquille said. "In this kind of environment, I find that we have more time to get in shape than when we are out in the field and providing communications in those conditions. So, we take the time to focus on that and build our NCOs."

Fitness has become an increasingly important trait for signal corps Soldiers, he said, because of the expeditionary nature of missions in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"From a grassroots perspective, I've been in for 19 years and this really brings it back to when I first pinned on E-5 [sergeant rank], but it is important for us NCOs to reinvigorate ourselves," he said. "One of the things I plan to bring back to my guys is that NCOs are Soldiers who stay hungry and need to be competitive in their career fields to enable all Soldiers to be better."

The final day was undoubtedly the most challenging for the four-Soldier teams who competed in the NCO Week games.

The sun was raising temperatures into the mid-90s when the teams started the competition with a four-mile ruck march with 35-pound packs. Some Soldiers opted to push the pace, running the distance before dropping their gear and starting the second event - a golf cart push around a softball field. A back-crawl, tractor-tire flip for 50-meters, mental challenges, a 100-meter water sprint and team water pallet move were among the list of the events that took between two and three hours to finish as a team.

Spc. Michael Machara, Sgt. Junior Lovo and Staff Sgts. Omar Gutierrez and Arnell Raynor from the 56th Signal Company won the overall competition.

"I'd say the hardest part was the ruck march, because the sun was out and I don't do well in the heat," said Machara, of Gaithersburg, Md. "When I got to the second hill, I definitely had to slow down and focus. But, just had to keep pushing."

The specialist promotable says he enjoyed working alongside senior NCOs and getting to see their dedication - especially because he sees physical fitness as very important in meeting his goal to serve at least 20 years in the Army and achieving the rank of sergeant major.

"It was an awesome experience," he said. "Soldiers look up their NCOs, so when they see them out here competing, I'm sure they will want to do it one day when they become senior leaders."