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The three-day competition began June 28 at 5 a.m. with a physical fitness test, an essay and a simulated medical catastrophe and culminated with assessments of marksmanship, land navigation skills and knowledge of customs and courtesies.
Wounded Soldiers shrieked and screamed, suffering from mock wounds. Medical NCOs bellowed as each Soldier treated and prepared the wounded for medical evacuation and called in 9-line medevac messages to signal an ambulance to evacuate casualties.
“We yelled at the Soldiers to add stress to the event to make the Soldiers think in terms of what a real environment is,” said Sgt. 1st Class Arthur James, STB, 1st AD medical NCO in charge.
The third day started at 5 a.m. with a land navigation course that was completed on foot in full armor around Victory Base Complex. In the middle of the course, Soldiers had to qualify with the M16 and M9 weapon systems at Caughman Range.
“The land navigation course was exhausting,” said Sgt. Jonathan Woods, airspace command and control NCOIC Company A. “It took more than four hours to finish the course.”
The Soldiers’ knowledge of military customs and courtesies was tested during a formal board of first sergeants and the battalion command sergeant major.
Lt. Col. Lane Turner, STB commander, pinned Army Achievement Medals on Pfc. Katelyn Parente, Soldier of the Quarter, and Woods, NCO of the Quarter during an evening ceremony.
“It wasn’t much fun while it was going on, but I kept telling myself, it’s just three days. I can get through it,” said Woods a New Orleans native. “Even when I didn’t think I could win, I kept going and made up for it in later events. Never give up and anything’s possible.”
Parente, 501st Military Police Company driver, said her inspiration for participating in the competition was to set herself above her peers.
“Why do anything halfway,” said Parente, a West Greenwich, R.I., native, acknowledging assistance from Pvt. Anthony Carey, 501st MP machine gunner. “A lot of people think this competition is a solo exercise, but having help is always useful. We helped bring each other up every step of the way.”
Command Sgt. Maj. Sal Katz expressed his pride in the Soldier and NCO of the Quarter prospects, singling out Carey’s efforts.
“Pvt. Carey just joined the Army less than a year ago and he’s already out here standing above and beyond more experienced Soldiers,” said Katz. “It makes me proud as an NCO to see the future of the Army through him — a young Soldier willing to stand above the trials at hand. “My hat goes off to all of the Soldiers. ... They are the pride of STB.”
The winners of the event will participate in the Soldier and NCO of the Year Competition.
