Soldier Spotlight: Staff Sgt. John Lueke

By Sgt. 1st Class Brian Hamilton

108th Training Command (IET) Public Affairs

FORT HUACHUCA, Ariz. —

Best Warrior has many different meanings for many different people. But for the Army it means the finest warriors competing in a four day event to try and emerge as the America’s premier Soldier.

So what is a warrior? Being able to reign supreme in different events such as a 12-mile ruck march? Conquering urban warfare simulations? Physical fitness tests, written exams and Warrior tasks?

For Staff Sgt. John Lueke, a warrior is a Soldier that goes beyond what is being asked of him.

Lueke, of the 4/518th Infantry, 3rd Brigade, 98th Training Division (IET), lives in Columbus, Georgia and has competed in the Best Warrior Competition now for the past four years. When asked why he continues to participate in the competition, he said to challenge himself.

“It’s not about competing against other Soldiers but about competing against myself. I can’t look at I have to beat this guy or this guy,” said Lueke.

Lueke, an infantryman, has been in the military almost 20 years with combined active duty and reserve time. In his civilian life, Lueke works as a department of Army civilian at Capabilities, Development and Integration Directory, working with share point, public facing and building websites.

Lueke has four beautiful daughters and is single, but his daughters keep him pretty busy with three being college graduates and one starting. He will be really busy this summer because one of his daughters is getting married.

Lueke enjoys running marathons and riding bikes for fun. He has run a lot of marathons and to him it’s not about winning but to see if he can do it and finish. He wants to do the best he can so as long as he makes it across the finish line he has done his job. He has two bikes, a Harley Davidson Ultra Classic and a Yamaha V-Star, which he loves to take to bike week at Daytona Beach.

Lueke said, the best warrior competition is a great experience for a Soldier because they get to meet new people with different skills from different units and think on the same level as them.

“These Soldiers, even though they say they are doing it for themselves like I said, they still all have a level of competitiveness to them and that’s why they are here.”

Lueke says he would like to train his unit on some of the basic skills and events that he does at the competition. Skills he says so often diminish on drill weekend because there is just not enough time in one weekend to do it.

“I like coming every year because I

Staff Sgt. John Lueke, representing the 98th Training Division (IET), takes his time as he conquers the over and under logs on the confidence course during the 2015 Best Warrior and Drill Sergeant of the Year Competition. Photo by Staff Sgt. Deidra Jackson, 108th Training Command, Public Affairs

get to do things that I normally don’t do at my unit like land navigation or a 10k ruck march, so you learn or relearn things that are just basic Soldier training,” Lueke said.

Lueke would like to return next year but not as a competitor, but as a sponsor; where he could put all of the experience and skills he has learned over the last four years to good use. To help motivate a Soldier to give it their all and push themselves to be a warrior and not just a Soldier.

Lueke is not only a Soldier; he embodies the word Best Warrior.