Soldiers from the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, competed in the Noncommissioned Officer and Soldier of the Quarter Competition May 13-14.
The objective was to select the most outstanding NCO and Soldier to compete for the Division NCO and Soldier of the Quarter Competition scheduled for July.
"We make it as real as possible," said Sgt. Maj. Terry Weiss, staff sergeant major, 2nd BCT.
All of the events were designed with extreme difficulty for those involved in the competition, preparing them for the division competition, said Weiss.
The seven competitors were chosen by their unit commanders and were each assigned a sponsor for guidance and coaching.
Sergeant Justin Richey, a squad leader with Company D, 1st Battalion, 502 Infantry Regiment, who sponsored competitor Sgt. Nathan Hill, said that hard work and an understanding of common Army knowledge are the keys to winning.
The competition consisted of three phases.
The initial phase simply comprised of the unit submitting the competitors nomination packet.
The second phase involved initial weigh-in, day land navigation, M-4 Carbine zero and qualification, warrior testing and a written exam.
The third and final phase of the competition, the competitors took the Army Physical Fitness Test and appeared before a board to test their knowledge.
The challenge started with all competitors reporting for accountability check and weigh-ins at 5:30 a.m. May 19.
After all competitors met the height and weight standards in accordance with Army Regulation 600-9, Weiss and the participants proceeded to the land navigation portion of the competition, located at the Division Land Navigation Course.
With a cloudless sky and the warm morning sun rising, the contestants, with a Global Positioning System, plated body armor, helmet and carrying their issued weapon, were given a map of the course and five separate coordinates to physically locate.
Within a three-hour time limit, the competitors had to locate as many of the points as possible.
Sergeant Ryan Betts, a sniper employment officer with the Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Bn., 502 Inf. Regt., said the course may be small in size but is very complicated.
Once the three-hour time limit had passed, the competitors were then transported to ranges seven and nine, where the zero and qualification segment of the contest was performed.
The competitors initially shot from fox holes to zero their weapons. After successfully zeroing their iron sights, the competitors were given 40 rounds to fire at pop-up targets from the supported, unsupported and kneeling positions.
The range cadre were very satisfied with the shooting results from the competitors.
The next part of the competition was the Warrior Task Testing at Johnson Field, where the competitors proved their knowledge of five skilled tasks such as the correct use of a protective mask during chemical and biological contamination, recognizing and performing first aid for heat injuries, loading a M-240B machine gun, mounting of a .50-caliber Browning machine gun onto an M-3 Tripod and properly assembling and disassembling an M-240B machine gun and performing a functions check. One by one, with the temperature nearing 90 degrees, the competitors engaged all five stations.
Immediately following the testing, a written exam on common Army knowledge and Army history was administered to the challengers, concluding the first day of testing.
The final day, May 20, began very much like the previous, cloudless with a warm sun rising. Wearing the Individual Physical Fitness Uniform at Johnson Field, the competitors were briefed by the event's noncommissioned officer in-charge, 1st Sgt. Brandi Whitman. The competitors conducted the Army Physical Fitness Test, consisting of sit-ups, push-ups and the two-mile run, which was graded on the extended scale.
Following the PT test, the seven competitors had nearly two-hours to prepare for the final event of the competition, where they would appear before a board consisting of the Brigades senior NCOs.
In the conference room at Strike Academy, the seven candidates, all wearing the Army Class A Uniform with their authorized awards and decorations, stood in a single rank at parade rest in front of the six-member board with Command Sgt. Maj. Scott Schroeder, the 2nd BCT command sergeant major and the president of the board, seated in the middle.
Schroeder said to the seven contenders congratulatory remarks and instructions for the board appearance and then ordered them into a waiting room, where the NCOs and Soldiers would remain with their sponsors until they were called before the panel of sergeants major.
Nearly three hours later, following the questioning of tactical communications, chain of command, military justice, reporting procedures, current events, military courtesy and many other topics, the competition was complete.
All seven potential victors with their assigned sponsors, filed back into the conference room where Schroeder reiterated his words of encouragement to the competitors and expressed how proud he was of the chosen men. He then announced the winner of the NCO of Quarter, Sgt. Nathan Hill, and the Soldier of the Quarter, Pfc. Ravin Massingill.
"The board was the toughest event of the competition," said Hill, an infantryman with Co. D, 1st Bn., 502nd Inf. Regt.
Hill said as he prepares to go before the division board, he will continue to study the Army manuals to continue his never-ending thirst for knowledge and skills.
"A lot of long hours went into my preparation for the competition," said Massingill, a fire support specialist with the fire support cell, HHC, 2nd BCT.
When talking about the other candidates that did not win, Massingill said their determination stands out within their units and they should continue to practice, keep trying, and never quit.
The 101st Airborne Division NCO and Soldier of the Quarter is scheduled for July 8-9.