Two Missouri Guardsmen represent state at Region V Best Warrior Competition

Missouri National Guard Staff Sgt. Drew Ming, who lives in Fair Grove, hops over an obstacle during the Missouri Best Warrior Competition in March. Ming currently is representing Missouri in the National Guard Region V Best Warrior Competition at Salina, Kan. (Photo by Rachel Knight/Missouri National Guard Public Affairs)

By Matthew J. Wilson
Ngmo.pao@US.ARMY.MIL

SALINA, Kan. - The National Guard's Region V Best Warrior Competition began Tuesday with a pair of Soldiers representing Missouri in the hunt.

Staff Sgt. Drew Ming, who lives in Fair Grove, and Sgt. Brian Wood, of El Dorado Springs, are going against Guardsmen from seven other states for the right to be crowned regional champion and earn a trip to Hawaii later this year to compete in the national tournament.

"They've gotten off to a pretty good start," said Master Sgt. James Kindell, a member of the 140th Missouri Regional Training Institute who is a regional trainer there to support the Missouri Guardsmen at the event.

In Missouri, the institute, which is located at Fort Leonard Wood, is tasked to run the state Best Warrior Competition and provide assistance during the regional event, said Command Sgt. Maj. Rick Austin, the institute's command sergeant major.

The competition, which lasts through Saturday, is broken down into two categories - one for best noncommissioned officer and the other for best Soldier.

Ming, who is a member of the 1129th Forward Support Company in Marshall, earned the right to compete in the regionals in late March at Camp Crowder after he won the state Best Warrior Competition for noncommissioned officers.

Wood, who was recently promoted from specialist as a member of Company C, 1-135th Attack Reconnaissance Battalion, at Whiteman Air Force Base, was the runner-up in the state Best Warrior Competition for Soldiers, also in late March at Camp Crowder. Wood, however, got the nod for regionals after the state Soldier competition winner, Spc. Noah Cutshall, was unable to compete because of his prior commitment to his college courses.

The regional competition is much like the state competition, where the Guardsmen are tested on both mental and physical fitness levels.

Events included the Army Physical Fitness Test, command sergeants major board, written examination on general military knowledge, 12-mile road march, Army warrior tasks, combat water survival, weapon qualification on both the M-9 pistol and the M-16 rifle, a 500-word essay, day and night land navigation, confidence course and combatives.

"Basically it's the same," said Austin, who lives in Lebanon. "They do add a mystery event into the regionals, but they don't tell anyone what that event is. It won't be until Thursday or Friday."

The competition opened Tuesday morning with the Army Physical Fitness Test and was followed by qualification with an M-16 rifle.

"I believe Staff Sgt. Ming did pretty well on his Army Physical Fitness Test," said Kindel1, who lives in Dixon. "Sgt. Wood said he maxed everything on his test, except push-ups."

Kindell said he wasn't sure how well Ming qualified with the M-16, but knew Wood hit 33 of 40 targets, which qualified him as a sharpshooter.

Tuesday afternoon's competitions began with a command sergeant major board, where Guardsmen will answer a series of questions that range in topic from Army warrior tasks to current events.

To finish out the first day of competition, Guardsmen went through a uniform inspection, a written exam and had to write a 500-word essay.

Kindell said the field of Guardsmen seemed to be very competitive.

"They are looking to be some pretty fine Soldiers," he said. "I think we stand a chance, but you don't know that until the bitter end."

Also providing support to the Missouri Guardsmen from the institute are Staff Sgts. Tim Russell and David Reyes Jr., who act as coaches.

Joining Guardsmen from Missouri in the competition are those from Kansas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. There are a total of 10 regions.

For more information about the Missouri National Guard, please visit www.moguard.com and our social media sites: www.facebook.com/Missouri.National.Guard; www.twitter.com/Missouri_NG; www.youtube.com/MoNationalGuard; www.myspace.com/missouri_ng; www.flickr.com/photos/missouriguard

Missouri National Guard Sgt. Brian Wood, of El Dorado Springs, crawls under an obstacle during the Missouri Best Warrior Competition in March. Wood currently is representing Missouri in the National Guard Region V Best Warrior Competition at Salina, Kan. (Photo by Rachel Knight/Missouri National Guard Public Affairs)