Email   Print   Share By Staff Sgt. Bryanna Poulin III Corps Public Affairs

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Spc. Samuel Torset (right), 101st Airborne Division, finishes his pace count during the 2012 III Corps Soldier and NCO Best Warrior Competition. Staff Sgt. Bryanna Poulin III Corps Public Affairs

Soldiers and NCOs competing in the 2012 III Corps Soldier and NCO Best Warrior Competition take off at the start line for their two-mile run during the Army Physical Fitness Test portion of the competition. Staff Sgt. Bryanna Poulin III Corps Public Affairs

Soldiers competing in the 2012 III Corps Soldier and NCO Best Warrior Competition receive their briefing Tuesday during the land navigation event of the competition. Staff Sgt. Bryanna Poulin III Corps Public Affairs

Ten Soldiers and NCOs were chosen by their installation as being the best in their profession and competed in the 2012 III Corps Soldier and NCO Best Warrior Competition. Staff Sgt. Bryanna Poulin III Corps Public Affairs

Pfc. Gideon Lovik, 21st Cavalry Division, takes a quick breath during the final 20 seconds of the sit-up event Monday. Soldiers and NCOs are competing in the 2012 III Corps Soldier and NCO Best Warrior Competition. Staff Sgt. Bryanna Poulin III Corps Public Affairs

Command Sgt. Maj. Arthur L. Coleman Jr., command sergeant major of III Corps and Fort Hood, briefs Soldiers and their sponsors during the 2012 III Corps Soldier and NCO Best Warrior Competition Monday. Staff Sgt. Bryanna Poulin III Corps Public Affairs

There are Soldiers who meet the standards and others who exceed them.

For the 10 Soldiers and noncommissioned officers competing in the 2012 III Corps NCO and Soldier Best Warrior Competition, exceeding the standard is the norm.

“These are the young Soldiers and sergeants who want to excel above and beyond their peers and contemporaries,” Sgt. Maj. Edward Lewis, III Corps operations sergeant major, said. “They want to be the best, and are willing to put themselves out that much further … to be out in the front.”

Driven for excellence and motivated to compete, warriors have rivaled against each other since Monday for the chance to be named 2012 Best Warrior Competition Outstanding NCO and Soldier of the Year for the corps. The competition ends Thursday. The victor will later go on to represent III Corps at the U.S. Army Forces Command Best Warrior Competition in July.

While honing their competitive spirit, elite warriors are tested during the intense weeklong competition on land navigation, board interviews, physical fitness tests, written exams and Warrior tasks and battle drills.

“Most warriors are driven by a competitive nature. Everything they do, they’re competing in. Whether it’s Monday morning PT or a rifle range … they’re competing all the time,” Lewis said. “They want to be the best. This competition is a just a way to capture that warrior spirit and competitive nature.”

While the competition shows the spirit of the warriors, it also portrays what the Army represents and gives Soldiers the opportunity to strive for a goal.

“Competition is healthy and good. Our Soldiers thrive and do better when they have competition, because it gives a measurement of where Soldiers are in their training. It builds morale and lets Soldiers have something to shoot for. This shows what our great Americans are doing and demonstrates the strength of who we are,” Command Sgt. Maj. Arthur L. Coleman Jr., III Corps and Fort Hood command sergeant major, said. “It shows the strength of our Army today; how well trained our Soldiers are, and we are able to display our combat experience. It’s fierce and healthy. It’s what we’re all about.”

The competition is built to shine a light on the best NCOs and Soldiers.

“These are the best Soldiers I have seen in my career, and they truly represent the best our country has to offer,” Coleman, who has more than 34 years and multiple deployments in the Army, said. “We have the best of the best at Fort Hood. What you see today is a true representation of what Americans produced for our Army.”

Starting at the lowest level of the Army in their companies and units,

Warriors are chosen from within their units.

“NCOs and Soldiers start competing at their units with company, battalion and NCO/Soldier of the quarter competition boards, then later being selected

to represent their installation,” Lewis said.

The installations – Fort Hood and Fort Bliss, Fort Campbell, Ky., Fort Sill, Okla., and Fort Riley, Kan. – choose these Warriors to represent them at the III Corps competition.”

For a few of the sponsors, nominating their NCO or Soldier was an easy choice.

“He makes my job easy by taking care of Soldiers and tackling issues head on,” Staff Sgt. Michael Dixon, Company F, 6th Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, said about his Soldier, Sgt. Kenneth Harryman, who was competing in the event. “He excels in his daily job, not only by doing his duties, but also looking to improve in every area as a noncommissioned officer.”

Although the competitors come from all over, they all share the same thing.

“Every single NCO and Soldier out here is the Army Values in action … first-hand,” Coleman said. “You will see in this competition how the values and hard work go hand-in-hand.”

Even though many of the Soldiers and NCOs were still early in their career, competitions like the Best Warrior set the path for the future sergeants major of the Army.

“Without a doubt, you are looking at the future leaders of the Army,” Lewis said. “I can remember when I was a young sergeant, I competed in these types of things, and I’m willing to bet if you ask numerous sergeants major around the Army, they have also competed in

competitions like this … these Soldiers and NCOs here are future leaders.”