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BAMBERG, Germany — Soldiers from the 240th Quartermaster Supply Company, 391st Combat Sustainment Support Battalion here and the 720th Explosives Ordnance Disposal Company, 391st CSSB in Mannheim met May 17 to compete for the 16th Sustainment Brigade Warrior Leader and Warrior of the Year title.
The competition was held to see who would represent the 16th Sust. Bde. at the 21st Theater Sustainment Command WLOY and WOY competition.
Two junior enlisted Soldiers and three non-commissioned officers were tested over a two-day competition consisting of an Army physical fitness test, weapons qualification, a written examination, day land navigation course, clothing inventory, night land navigation course, nine mile foot march in full battle gear and a rucksack, and a formal evaluation board.
The competition started off with the APFT. Spc. Monterio Churchman, an automated logistical specialist with 240th QM Co., 391st CSSB, from Memphis, said he thought he knew how to do pushups before the competition but he quickly learned the correct way when he realized during the competition that they were not being counted.
Once finished with the PT test, the Soldiers went out to Reese Range to qualify with their assigned weapons as well as brigade supplied 9 millimeter pistols and M-249 squad automatic weapons.
Sgt Madhur Karki, the Nuclear, Biological and Chemical non-commissioned officer for the 240th QM Co., 391st CSSB, from New York, said he had never fired the 9 millimeter pistol before, but the other Soldiers gave him pointers that allowed him to qualify successfully with the weapons system.
When they got back from the range, they took a written exam, testing their Soldier skills.
While traveling to the land navigation course, the Transportation Motor Pool vehicles got stuck in the mud. Spc. Christopher Brown, an automated
logistical specialist with 240th QM Co., 391st CSSB, from Little Rock, Ark., said his favorite part was when everyone jumped out of the vehicles and got dirty trying to push the TMPs free.
Once the vehicles were free, the Soldiers tackled the land navigation course. Their objective was to find five points located throughout the local training area in a set amount of time.
Then it was time for the clothing layout and inspection. Each Soldier laid their gear and clothing out in identical configurations. The inspectors checked to see if everything from the packing list was there, if it was clean and if it was serviceable.
The competition continued into the night with the night land navigation course, which ended at around 1 a.m.
After a rigorous first day, and with only about three hours of sleep, each Soldier had to start the second day with a nine-mile march carrying a 35-pound rucksack, individual body armor with bulletproof plates, Kevlar and a weapon.
The final event was a formal board made up of sergeants major from across the 16th Sust. Bde., with Command Sgt. Maj. Ismael Rodriguez, the command sergeant major of the 16th Sust. Bde., as president of the board.
The Soldiers made their way into the room, their every move, every answer, being critiqued by the board.
When every Soldier finished the board, the scores were tallied and the winners were announced.
Sgt. Richard Hunter, the communications NCO for the 240th QM, 391st CSSB, from Glasgow, Ky., and Specialist Churchman earned the titles of the 16th Sust. Bde. WLOY and 16th Sust. Bde. WOY, respectively.
“The competition was very tiring, but overall it let me know where I stand and what I need to work on before the going to the next level,” Sergeant Hunter said.
Sergeant Hunter and Specialist Churchman went on to compete in the 21st Theater Sustainment Command Warrior Leader of the Year and Warrior of the Year June 13 to 16 in Mannheim, Germany.
