FORT BRAGG, N.C. -- Earlier this month, 22 of the Army's best warriors gathered at Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia, to participate in the 2018 Best Warrior Competition. The premier Army competition held from Sept. 20 to Oct. 5, saw 22 of the Army's finest warriors, representing 11 commands from across the Army, competing for top honors. At the end of the competition, two Army Special Operations Forces Soldiers claimed the titles of Soldier of the Year and Non-Commissioned Officer of the Year.
The competition, conducted by Sergeant Major of the Army Daniel Dailey, tested the competitors on their knowledge, skills and abilities by conquering urban warfare simulations, demonstrating critical thinking, formal board interviews, physical fitness challenges, written exams, and warrior tasks and battle drills relevant to today's operating environment.
Earning the title of U.S. Army Non-Commissioned Officer of the Year, Sgt. 1st Class Sean Acosta, 34, is a Civil Affairs specialist assigned to the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School, Fort Bragg, North Carolina. A native of Florida, Acosta is an instructor in the Civil Affairs Qualification Course. He has been in the U.S. Army for 12 years. A Dari speaker, he has deployed four times in support of U.S. operations around the world.
Sgt. Matthew Hagensick, the U.S. Army's Soldier of the Year, is assigned as a Ranger Team Leader, 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, Fort Benning, Georgia. Hagensick, 34, a native of Madison, Wisconsin, has been in the U.S. Army for three years.
FOR THE MEDIA: Both Sgt. 1st Class Acosta and Sgt. Hagensick are available for a telephonic round table interview, Oct. 30, 2018, at 2:00-3:00 p.m. Dial-in information: (910) 432-3556. The pin is 2929#. Please R.S.V.P. to USASOC Public Affairs at 432-6005.
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