FORT RUCKER, Ala. -- An advanced individual training platoon sergeant from Fort Huachuca, Ariz., also represented Fort Rucker at the AIT Platoon Sergeant of the Year competition at Fort Monroe, Va., Aug. 24-27.
Sgt. 1st Class Michael Houston, A Company, Unmanned Aircraft Systems Training Battalion, 1st Aviation Brigade said being chosen as one of only 11 competitors from the entire Army was an honor and a challenge.
He represented the 1st Battalion, 13th Aviation Regiment here and the UASTB at Fort Huachuca, Ariz., because he was the top platoon sergeant in the 1st Aviation Brigade.
"I felt good about how I did, overall, even though I didn't win the top prize," Houston said. "It was a challenging competition, but I didn't really think any of it was that difficult."
The competition featured dozens of events including warrior tasks and battle drills, written exams, physical exercises, combatives and a board interview by senior noncommissioned officers.
During the competition, participants weren't told which event they would be competing in until they arrived at each station. This presented some extra stress for them, but Houston said he was able to keep moving forward.
"You have to know everything about everything before you go to this competition," he said. "Competing at this level really opened my eyes to a lot of new things."
His sponsor, Sgt. 1st Class Corey Houston, UASTB first sergeant, accompanied him and helped him stay in top form during down time.
"It was awesome that he got to represent the 1st Aviation Brigade," Houston said. "We couldn't have picked a better (NCO) to compete."
Corey said he thought representing the entire 1st Avn. Bde. added some pressure on Michael, but he handled it well.
"He worked hard between competitions to prepare for what was coming next," Corey said. "Even though he had no idea what was coming, he was mentally prepared for anything."
Despite not winning first place, Michael said competitions like this are good for AIT platoon sergeants and other NCOs.
"I encourage all (AIT students and NCOs) to get involved in these events," he said. "I learned a great deal here and met some really amazing people. It was a great experience."
Michael said he plans to continue competing in other competitions and hopes to return for next year's AIT Platoon Sergeant of the Year competition.
Staff Sgt. Amanda Kokkonen, an AIT platoon sergeant with A Co., 344th Military Intelligence Battalion, Goodfellow Air Force Base, San Angelo, Texas, was named the 2010 competition winner.
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