Pacific Guardians Vie for Best Warrior Honors

By Sgt. Raquel BirkNovember 3, 2021

From left to right, Sgt. Maj. Dennis Petty, 38th Air Defense Artillery Brigade operations sergeant major; Sgt. Andrew K. Han, Patriot fire control enhanced operator with 10th Missile Defense Battery; Pfc. Louis M. Wellstood, Army intel analyst with 1st Battalion, 1st Air Defense Artillery Regiment; and Command Sgt. Maj. Daniel Venton, 1-1 ADA senior enlisted advisor, gather for a photo after announcing Han and Wellstood as the winners of the 38th ADA 2021 Best Warrior Competition Noncommissioned Officer and Soldier respectively at Kadena Air Base, Japan Oct. 28, 2021.
1 / 8 Show Caption + Hide Caption – From left to right, Sgt. Maj. Dennis Petty, 38th Air Defense Artillery Brigade operations sergeant major; Sgt. Andrew K. Han, Patriot fire control enhanced operator with 10th Missile Defense Battery; Pfc. Louis M. Wellstood, Army intel analyst with 1st Battalion, 1st Air Defense Artillery Regiment; and Command Sgt. Maj. Daniel Venton, 1-1 ADA senior enlisted advisor, gather for a photo after announcing Han and Wellstood as the winners of the 38th ADA 2021 Best Warrior Competition Noncommissioned Officer and Soldier respectively at Kadena Air Base, Japan Oct. 28, 2021. (Photo Credit: Sgt. Raquel Birk) VIEW ORIGINAL
Cpl. Austin Shurtz, air defense battle management system operator with Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 38th Air Defense Artillery Brigade, completes a leg tuck during the Army Combat Fitness Test event of the 38 th ADA 2021 Best Warrior Competition at Torri Station, Japan Oct. 26.
2 / 8 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Cpl. Austin Shurtz, air defense battle management system operator with Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 38th Air Defense Artillery Brigade, completes a leg tuck during the Army Combat Fitness Test event of the 38 th ADA 2021 Best Warrior Competition at Torri Station, Japan Oct. 26. (Photo Credit: Sgt. Raquel Birk) VIEW ORIGINAL
Sgt. Andrew K. Han, Patriot fire control enhanced operator with 10th Missile Defense Battery, completes the two-mile run portion of the Army Combat Fitness Test event during the 38th Air Defense Artillery Brigade 2021 Best Warrior Competition at Torri Station, Japan Oct. 26.
3 / 8 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Sgt. Andrew K. Han, Patriot fire control enhanced operator with 10th Missile Defense Battery, completes the two-mile run portion of the Army Combat Fitness Test event during the 38th Air Defense Artillery Brigade 2021 Best Warrior Competition at Torri Station, Japan Oct. 26. (Photo Credit: Sgt. Raquel Birk) VIEW ORIGINAL
Pfc. Louis M. Wellstood, Army intel analyst with 1st Battalion, 1st Air Defense Artillery Regiment, negotiates an obstacle during the 17-event obstacle course portion of the 38th Air Defense Artillery Brigade 2021 Best Warrior Competition at Torri Station, Japan Oct. 26.
4 / 8 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Pfc. Louis M. Wellstood, Army intel analyst with 1st Battalion, 1st Air Defense Artillery Regiment, negotiates an obstacle during the 17-event obstacle course portion of the 38th Air Defense Artillery Brigade 2021 Best Warrior Competition at Torri Station, Japan Oct. 26. (Photo Credit: Sgt. Raquel Birk) VIEW ORIGINAL
Spc. Timothy M. Hernandez, chemical, biological, radiological, nucleur specialist with 14th Missile Defense Battery, negotiates an obstacle during the 17-event obstacle course portion of the 38th Air Defense Artillery Brigade 2021 Best Warrior Competition at Torri Station, Japan Oct. 26.
5 / 8 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Spc. Timothy M. Hernandez, chemical, biological, radiological, nucleur specialist with 14th Missile Defense Battery, negotiates an obstacle during the 17-event obstacle course portion of the 38th Air Defense Artillery Brigade 2021 Best Warrior Competition at Torri Station, Japan Oct. 26. (Photo Credit: Sgt. Raquel Birk) VIEW ORIGINAL
Sgt. Austin J. Tabb, air defense enhanced early warning system operator with 1st Battalion, 1st Air Defense Artillery Regiment, completes the 12-mile ruck march event with a 35-pound weighted ruck during the 38th Air Defense Artillery Brigade 2021 Best Warrior Competition at Torri Station, Japan Oct. 27.
6 / 8 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Sgt. Austin J. Tabb, air defense enhanced early warning system operator with 1st Battalion, 1st Air Defense Artillery Regiment, completes the 12-mile ruck march event with a 35-pound weighted ruck during the 38th Air Defense Artillery Brigade 2021 Best Warrior Competition at Torri Station, Japan Oct. 27. (Photo Credit: Sgt. Raquel Birk) VIEW ORIGINAL
Sgt. Mitchell A. Lapierre, military police with 14th Missile Defense Battery, disassembles a M249 light machine gun while being timed and graded, during the Warrior Task and Drill lanes portion of the 38th Air Defense Artillery Brigade 2021 Best Warrior Competition at Torri Station, Japan Oct. 27.
7 / 8 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Sgt. Mitchell A. Lapierre, military police with 14th Missile Defense Battery, disassembles a M249 light machine gun while being timed and graded, during the Warrior Task and Drill lanes portion of the 38th Air Defense Artillery Brigade 2021 Best Warrior Competition at Torri Station, Japan Oct. 27. (Photo Credit: Sgt. Raquel Birk) VIEW ORIGINAL
Spc. Jonah A. Perez, Patriot Fire control enhanced operator with 10th Missile Defense Battery, answers military knowledge-based questions asked by sergeants major and first sergeants during the board portion of the 38th Air Defense Artillery Brigade 2021 Best Warrior Competition at Kadena Air Base, Japan Oct. 28, 2021.
8 / 8 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Spc. Jonah A. Perez, Patriot Fire control enhanced operator with 10th Missile Defense Battery, answers military knowledge-based questions asked by sergeants major and first sergeants during the board portion of the 38th Air Defense Artillery Brigade 2021 Best Warrior Competition at Kadena Air Base, Japan Oct. 28, 2021. (Photo Credit: Sgt. Raquel Birk) VIEW ORIGINAL

OKINAWA, Japan – Seven noncommissioned officers and Soldiers assigned to various units throughout 38th Air Defense Artillery Brigade competed in a grueling test of their physical and mental abilities during an annual contest at Torri Station and Kadena Air Base Oct. 26-28.

In the end, Sgt. Andrew K. Han, Patriot fire control enhanced operator with 10th Missile Defense Battery, won the title of Best Warrior Competition Noncommissioned Officer, and Pfc. Louis M. Wellstood, Army intel analyst with 1st Battalion, 1st Air Defense Artillery Regiment, won the title of BWC Soldier.

“I joined this competition to see who I am when the pressure is on,” said Wellstood. “I want to compete, and put myself in situations where I have to step up and give my best. This not only motivates me, but other competitors around me to keep pushing ourselves through the escalating challenges.”

The competition’s events included the Army Combat Fitness Test; timed disassembling, reassembling and function checks of the M4 carbine rifle, M9 pistol, M240 machine gun, and M249 light machine gun; a 17-event obstacle course; a 12-mile ruck march with a three-hour time limit; a media lane; a written exam; a written essay; and a formal board before Sgt. Maj. Dennis Petty, 38th ADA operations sergeant major, Command Sgt. Maj. Daniel Venton, 1-1 ADA senior enlisted advisor, and first sergeants.

“Competition breeds excellence and promotes esprit de corps,” said Petty. “It makes our Pacific Guardian team better-rounded on both intellectual and physical aspects of Soldiering. We use this competition to feed into U.S. Army Japan’s and the 94th Army Air and Missile Defense Command’s Best Warrior Competitions.”

Sgt. 1st Class Bobby Vongsalat, electronic maintenance supervisor with 1-1 ADA and event organizer, said events were based on Soldier tasks that are not specific to any military occupational specialty.

“The competition is physically and mentally challenging, testing competitors on a variety of technical and tactical skills relevant to today’s operating environment,” said Vongsalat. “We are looking for well-rounded Soldiers who are proficient in their Warrior Tasks and Drills, physical fitness, as well as military knowledge.”

The BWC creates a platform for Soldiers to assess their strengths and weaknesses throughout the challenging events.

“Training is important to keep your skills as all skills perish and if you don’t keep training, you are going to lose them,” said Han, Best Warrior NCO winner. “To prepare for this competition, I needed to train on Warrior tasks that I don’t normally do often because at work I focus mostly on my job.”

The winners each received an Army Achievement Medal. They will also go on to compete in the USARJ and 94th AAMDC BWC’s

In addition to the winners, competitors included Cpl. Austin Shurtz, air defense battle management system operator with Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 38th ADA; Sgt. Austin J. Tabb, air defense enhanced early warning system operator with 1-1 ADA; Sgt. Mitchell A. Lapierre, military police, and Spc. Timothy M. Hernandez, chemical, biological, radiological, nucleur specialist, both with the 14th Missile Defense Battery; and Spc. Jonah A. Perez, Patriot Fire control enhanced operator with 10th Missile Defense Battery.