ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. -- Sgt. Jason Paglia, a biomedical equipment specialist with the U.S. Army Medical Materiel Agency, was named CECOM’s NCO of the Year following its 2024 Best Warrior Competition.
The U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command competition, held May 8-10 at Aberdeen Proving Ground, is one of many organized throughout the Army seeking to find the best of the best in its enlisted ranks.
“These competitions provide a venue for NCOs and Soldiers to showcase their individual skills and tactical expertise,” CECOM Command Sgt. Maj. Michael Conaty said during the awards presentation May 10.
The grueling three-day competition puts Soldiers through numerous physical and mental tests, including a fitness assessment, obstacle course, weapons qualifications, land navigation and a tactical road march. The event culminated with a formal board interview with senior Army leaders before winners were announced.
“[These Soldiers have] been tired all week,” Conaty said. “I tell you, there’s nothing better than seeing Soldiers and noncommissioned officers who have been challenged, tired, dirty, worn out with a smile on their face. That makes for a good week.”
Paglia, who serves at USAMMA’s Medical Maintenance Operations Division at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, will now advance to represent CECOM at Army Materiel Command’s Best Squad competition this summer.
Paglia said he’s a competitive person and looks forward to putting his skills to the test at the next level.
“I work as a technician at a depot, so I don’t get as many opportunities to go out and compete against my fellow Soldiers so I am excited every time the opportunity presents itself,” he said.
Other winners at the APG-based event were Aberdeen’s NCO of the Year, Staff Sgt. Christopher Miller of U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command, and the installation’s Soldier of the Year, Spc. Nikolas Henderson of U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Chemical Defense.
There were no entrants for CECOM’s Soldier of the Year competition.
Along with Paglia, fellow MMOD-UT BMET Sgt. Charles Roberts also took on the challenge, which he described as a “challenging but fun experience.”
“It felt good to get out of the office -- out of the usual grind -- and do Soldier stuff,” Roberts said. “The hardest part was the pace. We did most of the events in a 36-hour period, running on what little sleep we could get.”
Roberts came up just short -- by one point, in fact -- of Paglia’s final tally.
“It was interesting competing against Sgt. Paglia. We have different strengths and weaknesses, and that kept the competition close,” Roberts said. “… I took this on for self-improvement. It’s given me an insight on how I can better myself, not just for the next competition but for future events like the Expert Field Medical Badge.”
Paglia said he and Roberts worked together daily to prepare for the competition, adding that Roberts knows Army regulation “like no one else I have met.”
“And I have always been physically inclined, so we would both push each other to either look up more regulation or would guilt the other into doing planks or pushups throughout the day,” Paglia said. “Even up to the end of the competition, we were working together to do the best we could.”
Although only three Soldiers were announced as winners, Conaty said every participant deserved recognition for what they achieved through the competition, noting that they represent “the basics of what it takes for our Army to fight and win on today’s modern battlefields.”
“They have given maximum effort throughout the competition and they are better because of the experience,” he said. “… Your determination, resilience and desire to be the best sets you apart from your peers. Each one of you should be proud.”
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