FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas -- The Army Medical Department Center and School announced its top Noncommissioned Officer and Soldier of the Year during a ceremony at Blesse Auditorium April 25.
Sgt. 1st Class Jeffery Ebert, Company B, 187th Medical Battalion was named the Noncommissioned Officer of the Year and Spc. MeLeah Byrd, Training Support Company, 32nd Medical Brigade was named the Soldier of the Year.
The NCO/Soldier of the Year competition - which ran from April 20 through 25 - consisted of the Army Physical Fitness Test; a written essay; a written examination; a mystery event; a grueling three-hour day urban orienteering and four-hour night urban orienteering competition; weapons qualification; short-range weapons qualification; the obstacle course at Camp Bullis; and the oral board.
Ebert and Byrd also received the Army Commendation Medal from Maj. Gen. David Rubenstein, commanding general, Army Medical Department Center and School.
Addressing the leaders, Soldiers and civilians in attendance, Rubenstein talked about the organizations that made it possible for these Soldiers to compete.
"A career's worth of Soldiers, other warriors and civilians have put these two Soldiers on the stage by training them over the years and trusting them," Rubenstein said. "That is what you and I do with each other all the time. We trust each other, we train each other, we build each other into something that will be demonstrated tomorrow or a year from tomorrow."
"Urban orienteering by far was the most challenging," Ebert said. "I love being a Soldier, doing tactical exercises and scenarios. Chances don't come that often, so it is good to capitalize on these events."
Ebert and Byrd will compete at the U.S. Army Medical Command NCO/Soldier of the Year competition in June at Fort Bragg, N.C.
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