LRMC Soldiers vie for best warrior title

Over 15 Soldiers in Europe recently competed to earn the title of Landstuhl Regional Medical Center’s Best Warrior and secure a spot on the largest American Military Medical Center’s Best Squad, during LRMC’s Best Warrior / Squad competition, April 25-27.

The competition tested Soldiers on Army warrior tasks and battle drills, life-saving skills, military competence and physical fitness.

“The winners from this competition will move on to the Regional Health Command Europe competition against the other best squads around the region,” explains Army Master Sgt. Luis Arambulaguzman. noncommissioned officer in charge of the competition. “The importance of this is just the concept of the overall Soldier skills and test resiliency.”

Over the course of two days Soldiers participated in an Army Combat Fitness Test, ruck marches, battlefield scenarios, and simulated medical trauma response. According to Arambulaguzman, the competition not only tested Soldiers against each other but also aimed to build cohesion and teamwork, an upshot echoed by competition participants.

“It was fun watching my peers cheer each other along,” said Army Sgt. Jason Barajas, an optometry technician at Baumholder Army Health Clinic.

Additionally, Barajas points out the competition helps prepare Soldiers for missions which aren’t common in a fixed medical facility environment.

“I was just challenging myself, seeing how I can become better as a soldier,” said Barajas, a native of San Bernardino, California. “I did this to prepare myself like to see where push my limits of physical and mental.”

Following the competition, six Soldiers were recognized as LRMC’s Best Squad: 1st Lt. Zachary Rojas, Sgt. Christian Manjarrez, Sgt. Dean Santos, Spc. Caleb Nawman, Spc. Jhoshua Alfaro and Spc. Emilia Grant. LRMC’s Best Squad will go on to compete at the RHCE competition in late May.

“It was nice to see battle buddies, not just from LRMC, but from other places, experiencing the same challenges, said Grant, a native of Lemon Grove, California and a nutrition care specialist at LRMC. “LRMC is a hospital, so we work as a hospital. Sometimes the regular Army (warrior skills) gets kind of lost in that, but we try our best.”

“We're looking for the best,” said Arambulaguzman. “Not just the ones who can run the fastest, but the ones who can actually think under pressure and make the great decisions that can support the squad.”

“It's about having the heart of a Soldier and carrying on regardless of the physical tasks in front of you,” said Grant.