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Sgt. 1st Class Heron Perez, III Armored Corps reserve component career counselor, introduces himself to the members of the board during the III Armored Corps Career Counselor of the Year Competition Jan. 11, 2023 at Fort Hood, Texas. Perez shared his passion for his career and he said he sees himself retiring and starting his own transportation business in the future. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Yesenia Barajas)
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Sgt. 1st Class Quinn Kearsley from 1st Battalion, 6th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, assigned to Fort Bliss, Texas, shares a few laughs with board members during the board appearance event Jan. 11, 2023, at Fort Hood, Texas, during the III Armored Corps Career Counselor of the Year Competition. The board appearance was one of three events. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Yesenia Barajas)
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Sgt. 1st Class Quinn Kearsley from 1st Battalion, 6th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, assigned to Fort Bliss, Texas, prepares to throw a 10-pound medicine ball during the Army Combat Fitness Test event at Sadowski Field, Jan. 10, 2023, at Fort Hood, Texas, The ACFT tested each competitor on their physical fitness and performance. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Yesenia Barajas)
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Sgt. 1st Class Craig Pienkoski from Reserve Component Career Counselor, 4th Infantry Division, assigned to Fort Carson, Colorado, salutes the president of the board during a board appearance event in Fort Hood, Texas, Jan. 11, 2023. The board appearance event consisted of a uniform inspection, the career counselor creed and board questions. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Yesenia Barajas)
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Sgt. 1st Class Quinn Kearsley from 1st Battalion 6th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, assigned to Fort Bliss, Texas, executes hand release push-ups during the Army Combat Fitness Test event at Sadowski Field. Jan. 10, 2023, at Fort Hood, Texas. Kearsley completed the six-event assessment as part of the III Armored Corps Career Counselor of the Year Competition. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Yesenia Barajas)
(Photo Credit: Staff Sgt. Yesenia Barajas)VIEW ORIGINAL
FORT HOOD, Texas — Dozens of swinging arms slice through the crisp morning air, as Soldiers run around the track. Completing these two miles marks the end of the first event for those competing in the III Armored Corps’ Career Counselor of the Year Competition, which took place here January 9-12, 2023.
The competition tested the best of III Armored Corps’ career counselors through a series of events, beginning with an Army Combat Fitness Test, followed by a written exam, and ending in a career counselor formal board.
In the end, only one Soldier from each component would prevail as the III Armored Corps’ Fiscal Year 2023 Career Counselor of the Year. From the active-duty component, that designation belonged to Sgt. 1st Class Quinn Kearsley, 1st Battalion, 6th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 1st Armored Division. Taking the title from the reserve component was Sgt. 1st Class Heron Perez.
Kearsley drove over eight hours to compete against the other 12 other representatives from across III Armored Corps’ units.
The competition’s non-commissioned officer in charge, Sgt. 1st Class Alisa Licata, III Armored Corps Headquarters, explained the importance of the Corps’ outlying units traveling to compete.
“We talk to them on a daily basis, whether it be by phone or on a computer, but that's the only way we know them,” Licata said. “When they come, we get to meet each other essentially.”
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Sgt. 1st Class Craig Pienkoski, reserve component career counselor, 4th Infantry Division, assigned to Fort Carson, Colorado, sits at attention during a board appearance event during the III Armored Corps Career Counselor of the Year Competition Jan. 11, 2023 at Fort Hood, Texas. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Yesenia Barajas)
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Senior leaders motivate Staff Sgt. Brandy Treib, right, from 3rd Squadron, 3d Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, during the two-mile run as part of the Army Combat Fitness Test Jan. 10, 2023, at Fort Hood, Texas, Treib received support from her unit while she competed for the title of III Armored Corps Career Counselor of the Year. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Yesenia Barajas)
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Staff Sgt. Morgan Alexander from 1st Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, assigned to Fort Riley, Kansas, answers a board question during the board appearance during the III Armored Corps Career Counselor of the Year Competition Jan. 11, 2023 at Fort Hood, Texas. Alexander named personal and professional goals she plans to achieve and policies she would change to retain Soldiers. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Yesenia Barajas)
(Photo Credit: Staff Sgt. Yesenia Barajas)VIEW ORIGINAL
The sound of pens scratching against paper marked the beginning of the second event. The demanding written exam consisted of 50 questions.
When reflecting on the exam, competition winner Kearsley shares why it was the most difficult event.
“The written exam was very in-depth; it had a lot of challenging questions that to answer correctly, you really had to study.” Kearsley said.
In spite of this sentiment, out of all the competitors, Kearsley’s written exam scored the highest.
As the final event commenced, well-dressed competitors, adorned in their formal uniform, awaited their turn to enter the board room.
Kearsley’s senior leader, Sgt. 1st Class Brian Blackmore, 1st Battalion, 6th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, shared the secret to Kearsley’s win.
“It’s his desire to want to study and look into things,” Blackmore said. “When we were preparing for strategic level questions, he likes to think outside the box and is extremely passionate about his job.”
Applause erupted from the atrium as Kearsley was officially named III Armored Corps’ Active Component Career Counselor of the Year for 2023.
“When I get selected for something like this,” Kearsley said, “it just makes me feel like all the extra hard work does pay off. It’s not just for me, it's for my unit and my Soldiers.”
Following this victory, Kearsley and Perez will represent III Armored Corps in the United States Army Forces Command (FORSCOM) competition in early February.
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