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First Lt. Mende Wentzel, executive officer of 21st Theater Sustainment Command’s 18th Engineer Brigade’s 243rd Construction Management Team, takes part in the obstacle course portion of the Best Warrior Competition April 15.
BAMBERG, Germany — Ten Soldiers from the 21st Theater Sustainment Command’s 18th Engineer Brigade, 54th Engineer Battalion, 15th Engineer Battalion, and 243rd Construction Management Team competed for the title of the brigade’s Best Warrior.
Soldiers, NCOs and officers were tested on their knowledge and physical fitness through various events.
Spc. Ian Pocklington, an operations specialist with the Headquarters and Headquarters Co., 18th Engineer Bde., earned the Soldier’s title this year.
“He is always leading from the front and he has been doing so for quite some time now,” said Col. Scott Petersen, commander of 18th Engineer Bde.
First Lt. Michael Theising, executive officer for the 15th Engineer Battalion, 902nd Engineer Co., won in the officer category. Theising said he benefited from experience gained from participating in the Best Sapper Competition last year at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo.
Staff Sgt. Paul Hernandez, a construction engineer supervisor for the 902nd Engineer Company, 15th Engineer Battalion, won the best warrior title for the NCOs.
All three will represent the brigade at the 21st TSC best warrior competition scheduled later this month in Grafenwöhr, Germany.
The competition began with an Army physical fitness test, where the Soldiers were graded on their overall fitness. This was followed by a rigorous obstacle course, that involved scaling walls, crawling under barbed wired, and several other challenging obstacles.
The Soldiers, NCOs and officers were also tested on their knowledge of Soldier essential skills. They were evaluated on their knowledge of several weapons to include the M9 pistol, M-16 A2 rifle, M-249 squad automatic weapon, and the M2-.50-caliber machine gun. The Soldiers were also required to display their knowledge of
chemical, biological, radioactive and nuclear defenses, and medical evacuations.
Lastly, the Soldiers were quizzed about their military tasks, military programs and current events from a board led by Command Sgt. Maj. Lauro F. Obeada, the command sergeant major of the 18th Engineer Bde.
