USAMRMC Names 2014 Best Warriors

By Melissa Myers, USAMRMC Public Affairs

Soldiers entered one-by-one for their individual oral board appearances at Fort Detrick, Md., on March 31. The Best Warrior Competition recognizes those Soldiers and NCOs demonstrating superb military bearing and communication skills as well as knowledge of various military subjects. Spc. Bartholomew Taylor, (pictured) BWC Soldier First Runner Up from the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, sat before the board on March 31. (Photo by Melissa Myers, USAMRMC Public Affairs)

The U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command 2014 Best Warrior Competition came to an end on Friday, Apr. 3, after 7-days of challenging and physically taxing Soldier-specific tasks. The weeklong competition provides special recognition to those USAMRMC Soldiers demonstrating outstanding military achievement; recognizing those individuals who best represent not only U.S. Army Medical Command values, but Army values as a whole.

Twelve competitors arrived from across the globe to compete in the 2014 USAMRMC Best Warrior Competition -- each prepared to be both physically and mentally tested.

The 12 competitors for the 2014 USAMRMC Best Warrior competition included: Spc. Jessica Bowman, U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases; Sgt. Ochir Palam, USAMRIID; Sgt. Carlos Diaz-Rivera, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research; Spc. Bartholomew Taylor, WRAIR; Staff Sgt. Shaun Morand, U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Environmental Medicine; Spc. Travis Crook, USARIEM; Spc. Dawn Peterson, U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Chemical Defense; Sgt. Andrew Ludescher, U.S. Army Institute of Surgical Research; Spc. Daniel Wendorff, USAISR; Sgt. Jojo Ada, U.S. Army Medical Materiel Center, Europe; Private 1st Class Stephanie Bridgeforth, USAMMCE; and Staff Sgt. Hosea Bickerstaff, U.S. Army Aeromedical Research Laboratory.

The Best Warrior Competition seeks to test Soldier skills with events like the Army Physical Fitness Test, M16 qualification and "move and shoot" ranges, urban operations, hand-to-hand combatives, day and night land navigation courses, and a road march.

The Best Warrior competition consists of the following events over a three-day span:

1 - Army Physical Fitness Test
2 - Mystery Event
3 - Day Land Navigation
4 - Warrior Tasks and Battle Drills
5 - Written Exam
6 - Written Essay
7 - Board Appearance

Best Warrior Competition Results:

BWC Non-Commissioned Officer Winner:	Sgt. Ochir Palam, USAMRIID
BWC Non-Commissioned Officer Runner-Up:	Sgt. Carlos Diaz-Rivera, WRAIR
BWC Soldier Winner:	Spc. Travis Crook, USARIEM
BWC Soldier Runner-Up:	Spc. Bartholomew Taylor, WRAIR

Congratulations to the winners and all who took the challenge to become this year's USAMRMC Best Warrior. The USAMRMC Best Warriors will represent USAMRMC at the MEDCOM level competition in May.

U.S. Army

MEDICAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT COMMAND

USAMRMC Names 2014 Best Warriors