Missouri Guardsman has strong showing at Best Warrior Competition

Sgt. Brian Wood, who serves with the Missouri National Guard's Company C, 1-135th Attack Reconnaissance Battlion, climbs an air assault tower at Fort Benning, Ga., as part of the Army National Guard's Best Warrior competition. (Ann Keyes/Missouri National Guard)FORT BENNING, Ga. - A Missouri National Guardsman from El Dorado Springs recently competed against fellow Soldiers from around the nation in the Army National Guard's Best Warrior competition at Fort Benning, Ga. in August.

By Ann Keyes
ngmo.pao@us.army.mil

FORT BENNING, Ga. - A Missouri National Guardsman from El Dorado Springs recently competed against fellow Soldiers from around the nation in the Army National Guard's Best Warrior competition at Fort Benning, Ga. in August.

Sgt. Brian Wood, who serves with the Missouri Guard's Company C, 1-135th Attack Reconnaissance Battalion, was among the top contenders in the three-day competition, said Missouri's top enlisted Soldier, Command Sgt. Maj. James Schulte.

"Our Soldier is one of the top finishers in the nation," said Schulte following the Best Warrior contest. "He did an awesome job and we're very proud of that."

Wood, who joined fellow competitors in Washington D.C., said that while he didn't take the top honor, he got a lot from the competition.

"I'm disappointed, but I'm relieved it's all over with," said Wood. "It was a great experience. I'm glad I did it. I learned a lot of things I wouldn't have learned otherwise."

Over the course of the competition, Soldiers and noncommissioned officers were put to the test over 15 or more hours each day. Written tests led to Army Physical Fitness tests, which led to the marksmanship ranges. After, Soldiers went on to "Warrior Stakes," where they cleared, disassembled, assembled and performed function checks on grenade launchers, machine guns and squad automatic weapons. They were also tested and evaluated on their performance with chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear operations - all during the first 24 hours.

Before sunrise on the second full day of competition, Soldiers went into the dense forest at Fort Benning for land navigation. Next was the "Stress Shoot" where competitors engaged targets in an ambush environment while sporadically being called upon to evacuate casualties, operate a radio, and file reports. Each combatant finished by throwing a grenade.

"We're pushing them outside of their comfort zone to see how they will react," said 1st Lt. Christopher Pegg with Fort Benning's Warrior Training Center. "It's more than what I think they were expecting. Some of the comments I've heard have been about the intensity of the competition. It has been grueling."

Soldiers immediately went from the Stress Shoot to simulated operational training system tests before a mystery event that found the combatants on the air assault tower at the Warrior Training Center. At dawn the next morning, Soldiers returned to the same field for an obstacle course event before moving to urban operations, then to a hand-to-hand combatives tournament.

"Land navigation was definitely the most fun event," said Wood. "I was comfortable with it. And I usually shoot expert. Physically, the competition was easier than I expected, but mentally it was tough."

The competition was tough, too.

"In the Army National Guard there are over 300,000 enlisted members," said Pegg. "These are the top 14 out of those 300,000 so it's a significant milestone for these individuals. It really represents the Army at its best."

The command sergeant major of the Army National Guard, Command Sgt. Maj. Richard Burch, said the competitors are the best of the best.

"We've found the Soldiers who are the best of the best within the states, those who have the drive and determination to meet whatever challenge it is, to not accept defeat," Burch said.

North Dakota's Lindberg will go on to represent the National Guard at the All-Army Soldier of the Year competition this fall, while Utah's Sgt. Guy Mellor will go to All-Army representing his state, region and the Guard to fight for the title of Noncommissioned Officer of the Year.

For Wood, he'll be back home working for the Missouri Department of Transportation when not training with the Missouri National Guard. Would he contend again?

"Only if I were younger," joked the 39-year-old, who competed alongside Soldiers years. "I feel completely honored to have represented the Missouri National Guard in the Best Warrior competition."