The Hornet - April 2019

2019 Best Warrior Competition North Carolina National Guard Quarterly Issue

April 2019 www.nc.ng.mil

Director of Public Affairs Lt. Col. Matthew DeVivo matthew.r.devivo.mil@mail.mil

Inside this Issue:

Media Relations Maj. Matthew Boyle matthew.i.boyle.mil@mail.mil

Community Relations Maj. Michael Wilber michael.j.wilber2.mil@mail.mil

Visual Information Staff Sgt. Brendan Stephens brendan.p.stephens.mil@mail.mil

145th Airlift Wing Public Affairs Tech. Sgt. Nathan Clark nathan.t.clark.mil@mail.mil

Writers/Photographers Staff Sgt. Mary Junell mary.e.junell.mil@mail.mil Staff Sgt. Leticia Samuels leticia.m.samuels.mil@mail.mil Sgt. Joe Roudabush joe.f.roudabush.mil@mail.mil

Social Media Sgt. Odaliska Almonte ncngpao@gmail.com

The Hornet magazine is an authorized publication for members of the North Carolina National Guard. Contents of this publication are not necessarily the official views of or endorsed by the NCNG, United States Government or the Department of Defense. The editorial content of this publication is the responsibility of the Public Affairs Office of the NCNG. General comments and suggestions should be addressed to Mary.E.Junell.mil@mail.mil or call 984-664-6590.

Layout and design 1 by Staff Sgt. Mary Junell

On The Cover:

Staff Sgt. Christopher Wagner (left) and Spc. Andrew Brotherton, both assigned to the 60th Troop Command were named Best Warrior in their respective categories in the 2019 state Best Warrior Competition for the noncommissioned officer and enlisted categories at the joint Forces Headquarters in Raleigh, N.C March 7, 2019. Photo by Staff Sgt. Mary Junell

Also in This Issue:

Don’t Forget!

You can click on the story descriptions above to go directly to that story! Than click the home button to return here!

News From The Nest, Pg. 3 Sleep with the Fishes, Pg. 5 Hurricane’s Military Appreciation, Pg.15 And the Winners Are, Pg. 11 Fit to Serve, Pg. 13 Senior Enlisted Leader Retires, Pg. 10 Communications Rodeo, Pg. 20 Click to follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

Any time you see the Flickr symbol, click it to see more photos!

Where is SFC Jordan?

Can you find the tiny version of Sgt. 1st Class Robert Jordan hidden among these pages? Our well loved photojournalist is hiding somewhere in the Hornet!

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Army Chief Warrant Officer 4 Paulette Haizlip was promoted to the rank of Chief Warrant Officer 5 during a ceremony at Joint Forces Headquarters in Raleigh, North Carolina, on March 29, 2019. Haizlip is the first AfricanAmerican female to achieve Chief Warrant Officer 5 in the NCNG. She enlisted in the North Carolina Army National Guard, 113th Field Artillery Brigade, in July 1983 as a Private. She is currently assigned as the Human Resource Specialist (Recruitment and Replacement) in the Human Resources Office. Photos by Staff Sgt. Mary Junell

North Carolina Army National Guard and Air Guard Soldiers and Airmen participate in the 6th Annual Combined Event Ball Raleigh, North Carolina, March 16, 2019. The Military Ball is an age-old tradition for which military dress in their finest uniforms, and it is an opportunity for people to interact in a social, formal setting. Photos by Sgt. Wayne Becton

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Wakefield Senior Men’s Golf Association presented N.C. Adjutant General, Maj Gen Greg Lusk, a check for 45K to support the NCNG’s Soldiers and Airmen Assistance Fund (SAAF), who provides assistance for basic needs, emergencies, and other services typically within 24 hours of receiving a request. SAAF supports NCNG programs like Kids on Guard, NCNG Survivor/ Gold Star Family Outreach, NCNG Education Foundation, Integrated Behavior Health and Friends of the NC Air Guard.

Photos by STaff Sgt. Mary Junell

Hundreds of North Carolina citizens, civic leaders, and NC Guardsmen welcomed over 100 Vietnam Veterans to Joint Force Headquarters during a Vietnam Veterans Commemoration event, in Raleigh, April 1, 2019, as a part of the National Vietnam War Commemoration program. The Key note speaker for the event was Medal of Honor recipient retired Col. Walter J. Marm who served in Vietnam with 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile). Photos by Maj. Matthew Boyle

News From

North Carolina National Guard Soldiers of 1st Battalion, 120th Infantry Regiment dedicate the NC National Guard’s Beulaville Readiness Center to the Sgt. Robert Bittiker Readiness Center during a renaming Ceremony in Beulaville, N.C. on March 10, 2019. On June 29th, 2009, Bittiker who assigned to 1st Battalion, 120th Infantry Regiment was killed in action while on patrol in Baghdad, Iraq, when the humvee he was riding in was attacked with an improvised explosive device.

Photos by Sgt. Wayne Becton

N.C. National Guard’s 42nd Civil Support Team CBRN-E (chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear or explosive) conducted unique joint training with the Florida National Guard last week of March 2019. The 42nd honed their skills responding to a simulated event taking place in a container ship.

Command Sergeant Major Russell Prince meets with soldiers from the Det 1, B CO, 2-151 Aviation Regiment during Patriot South 2019 exercise, here at the Savannah Airport, GA. Patriot South is an emergency response exercise with over 1000 participants from over thirty states, including state and federal agencies.

Photos by Maj. Matthew Boyle

Around the Nest

A delegation from the Botswana Defense Force visited the N.C. National Guard for the Strategic Planning Conference the week of March 18 to 22, 2019. The purpose of the 2019 BDF – NCNG Strategic Planning Conference is to establish an engagement strategy between the BDF and the NCNG between 2020 – 2025 that is mutually beneficial and supports campaign objectives of the BDF, Botswana Country Team, NCNG, and AFRICOM. Photos by Sgt. Odaliska Almonte

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North Carolina

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Children of North Carolina National Guardsmen gather around a replica of a Megalodon Shark jaw at the aquarium where they will be sleeping during the Sleeping With the Fishes event March 23, 2019, at the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher. The event was sponsored by Kids on Guard, a non-profit organization that supports the North Carolina National Guard Family Programs and hopes to give Guard children a chance to bond with other kids in similar situations. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Mary Junell)

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North Carolina

North Carolina National Guard Soldiers were honored at the Carolina Hurricanes during their Military Appreciation day Jan. 13, 2019, where NC Tarheel ChalleNGe Academy - New London Color Guard performed at the opening ceremony and Soldiers of the 449th Combat Aviation Brigade, who recently returned from deployment, will be honored as the True Defenders of the game. (Photo by Staff Sgt. Mary Junell)

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Kentucky

Loadmasters from the North Carolina National Guard’s 156th Airlift Squadron, 145 Airlift Wing, load a C17 Equipment at Fort Campbell KY. March 21, 2019. (U.S. Army National Guard Photo by Staff Sgt. Brendan Stephens)

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And the Winners Are:

Every year, Public Affairs and Visual Information Soldiers from the National Guard’s 54 States and Territories submit their best work to the Nation Guard Bureau Media Contest. This year, North Carolina National Guard Members swept the competition with four 1st Place Winners, one Second Place Winner and six 3rd Place Winners. The First Place Winners will be submitted into the Kieth L. Ware Communications Award Competition.

Training Photo

Staff Sgt. Brendan Stephens

Layout & Design

Sgt. Almonte also received 3rd Place in the Social Media Video Category

Sgt. Odaliska Almonte

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Feature Photo

Staff Sgt. Mary Junell

Staff Sgt. Junell also received 3rd Place in the Short-form Production Video Category and 3rd place in Multimedia Product Category.

Photo Series

Sgt. Marcel Pugh

In addition to these Soldiers: Sgt. 1st Class Robert Jordan received 3rd place in the Portrait Photo Category Sgt. 1st Class Ron Lee received 2nd Place for Picture Story, 3rd Place for Video Story and 3rd Place for Video Story.

Please Congratulate all of our great Public Affairs and Visual Informations Soldiers on a job well done!

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North Carolina National Guard Fit To Serve Story and Photo by Maj. Matthew Boyle

Sgt. Adam Lamb with 130th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade demonstrates a body movement to 22 NCNG Soldiers in the Fit to Serve program at the Camp Butner Training Center in Butner, North Carolina on January 24, 2019.

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wenty-two Soldiers from the North Carolina National Guard are volunteering to participate in Fit to Serve, a six-month program that supports overall health and wellness by providing nutrition training, resiliency training and teaching a movement restoration system, at the Camp Butner Training Center in Butner, North Carolina on January 24, 2019.

According to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention survey conducted from 2015 to 2016, 71.6% of Americans over the age of 20 are overweight. The North Carolina National Guard Operations and Training Office set out to find a way to work with personnel struggling with health and wellness.

“Our program is a total mind and body approach to wellness,” said Sgt. Maj. Jason Stewart, Operations and Training Resource Manager, who is part of the team that created the Fit to Serve program. “It begins with a

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one-week in-resident phase where we teach nutrition, resiliency and functional movement, then our participants are placed in small groups where they work with one of our fitness coaches over a sixmonth period.”

The Fit to Serve program has contracted with the Original Strength Institute to teach basic body movements, flexibility and breathing techniques that have been found to be effective in helping people lose weight, increase range of motion and reach individual potential.

The Fit to Serve trainers are NCNG members who hold an Army Master Fitness Trainer certificate and are OSI certified coaches who are working to become OSI professional instructors. The goal of Fit to Serve is to create enough OSI professional instructors to be able to self-sustain the program and create a mobile fitness lab that company commanders could request to be used at the unit

level.

The Soldiers who volunteer to participate in Fit to Serve, are required to bring a food diary of what they ate for five days before the program began. With this food log, a trained nutrition specialist reviews their eating habits and can begin to develop a dietary plan for the next six months.

As part of the program, the participants go to a local grocery store and learn how to shop healthy, including how to learn the how to read the nutritional labels on foods and how to reduce the amount of processed ingredients.

“When they leave here, they have to have a plan. Nutrition is the most important part of wellness and fitness,” said retired Master Sgt. Robert Wheeler, the Master Fitness Coordinator, Operations and Training Office, NCNG. During the program, Soldiers meet with their trainers in

small groups once a month to workout, review nutrition or just to talk about progress or possible problems. On the second and fourth month they are given a practice fitness test and after six months they take an official Army Physical Fitness Test.

Mark Shropshire, owner of Shropshire Sports Training in Columbia, Maryland, is working with Fit to Serve program, teaching and demonstrating functional fitness, he is also a former Army combat engineer and OSI professional instructor.

“Today we are learning how to press reset on the central nervous system, once we can get the body to move the way it was designed to move, we can then build a foundation,” said Shropshire, “the Fit to Serve program hopes that with functional fitness and nutrition that the participants will be able to not only pass the fitness test but have the skills to maintain active healthy lifestyles.”

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Community Youth + National Guard =

Guard X Story and Photos by Staff Sgt. Leticia Samuels

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aindrops hit windshields of military vehicles outside the 105th Engineer Battalion’s Armory in Raeford as over 120 high school students filled the drill hall floor in anticipation of the North Carolina National Guard Challenge Feb. 23, 2019.

NC Army National Guard Soldiers assigned to the 105th teamed up with the NCNG’s Recruiting and Retention Battalion (RRB) to host the inaugural Guard X event allowing high school students from surrounding areas to interact with Soldiers and military equipment.

“We try to have participants from the JROTC [Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps] program, but we also

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Sgt. Amanda Bishop, with the 105th Engineer Battalion, interacted with and provided hands-on training for simulating an indoor range with the beam hit weapons system to high school students from Raeford and southern regions of NC during the NCNG’s Guard X Challenge on Feb. 23, 2019.

opened it up to anybody in the high school,” said Master Sgt. Adriana Tkachenko, noncommissioned officer in charge of RRB, in southern regions of NC. “It’s also to let them know that there are Guard units in almost every town. We get to educate the students on what the National Guard is and the benefits that we have because they really don’t know the difference between us when they see Army.”

In the past year, an initiative from NCNG leaders directed lower units to create innovative ways to support recruiting teams across North Carolina. This began an effort to re-engage existing relationships between the community and the Guard.

“The big turn out is

because of the amount of coordination between my line units here and the local recruiting team,” said NC Army National Guard Capt.

Jonathan Dunlap, 105th Engineer Battalion’s personnel officer. “They did a lot of the marketing and pushing [Guard X] to the students and my guys in the line units provided the facility, the equipment, and all the necessary stuff to have the event. It is a pretty big joint effort.”

Citizen-Soldiers of the NC National Guard facilitate a unique dual-mission; support federal deployments here and overseas as well as support the state during natural or manmade disasters. Guard X is another way to communicate that unique dual-mission role

to the community.

“It’s a hard area to stay in the communities mind having Fort Bragg right next door,” said Dunlap. “We actually have state active duty equipment set up, because this unit was extremely important in Hurricane Matthew and Florence. We [105th EN BN] focus on the entire eastern area whenever we get activated and sometimes it doesn’t click that it is actually Guard units repairing the roads and moving citizens out of harm’s way and not active duty.”

Students from Overhills High, 71st High, Pinecrest, Union Pines High, Red Springs High, and Jack Britt High all attended the event.

Among the sea of students, a passionate teacher, who is motivated to encourage her

Staff Sgt. Anthony Faso, assigned to the 105th Engineer Battalion, provided hands-on training of an Mk 19 grenade launcher and other weapons to high school students from Raeford and southern regions of NC during the NCNG’s Guard X Challenge on Feb. 23, 2019.

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students to think about their future, came to show support to the Guard and stand behind her students.

“My mantra is boots or books and how are you going to pay for it,” said Karrie Andersch, an English high school teacher.

Andersch said she challenges her students to not only start thinking about their plans after graduating but to do research papers on what career they want and the requirements needed to get there and to set goals.

Throughout the year students also prepare a presentation to a panel keeping them actively engaged, giving them something to work toward during their senior year.

“Though those conversations I call in college administration officers and I call in military people to come in and just talk to the kids so they can hear the whole spectrum,” said Andersch. “By the time we hit the second semester, they have put in their presentations, still hitting State standards, but we’re actually making them college and career ready.”

Radio chatter on Single Channel Ground and Airborne Radio System [SINGARS] radios, clicks and functions checks of an array of weapons and questions of assembly and operation of night vision goggles filled the drill hall floor as students moved through each of the hands-on stations.

Guard X is an example that highlights how the North Carolina National Guard remains a ready, reliable, responsive and relevant force committed to serving the citizens of our state and nation.

“I just want this whole

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Sgt. Mahalia Ryan, assigned to the 105th Engineer Battalion, interacted with and provided hands-on training for Single Channel Ground and Airborne Radio System radios to high school students from Raeford and southern regions of NC during the NCNG’s Guard X Challenge on Feb. 23, 2019.

town to know about the Guard,” said Army Staff Sgt. Levi Wiles, a recruiter with the RRB supporting the Hoke

county area. “It makes me feel really good because sometimes I have days where I feel like I haven’t done enough.

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NCNG Senior Enlisted Leader retires after 37 years Story and Photo by Staff Sgt. Mary Junell

N.C. Adjutant General, Maj. Gen. Greg Lusk, left, and N.C. Senior Enlisted Leader, Command Sgt. Maj. John Swart share a laugh on stage during Swart’s retirement ceremony Feb. 11, 2019.

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amily, friends and fellow Service Members gathered to celebrate Command Sgt. Maj. John Swart’s retirement during a ceremony at the North Carolina National Guard’s Joint Force Headquarters, in Raleigh on Feb. 11, 2019.

Swart enlisted in the NCNG in 1981, serving more than 37 years. He rose through the ranks and finished his career as the Command Senior Enlisted Leader for the North Carolina National Guard; the highest enlisted position achievable by a N.C. Guardsman.

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The Adjutant General of the North Carolina National Guard, Maj. Gen. Greg Lusk, presided over the ceremony and praised Swart on the leadership he witnessed when they served together as the command team for the 30th Heavy Brigade Combat Team’s 2009 deployment to Iraq.

“One thing stood true,” said Lusk. “He was a leader, he was out front, he was living the hardships, he was leading the way and he didn’t ask anyone to do anything that he himself would not do.”

In addition to the

numerous awards and certificates presented to Swart, his wife, Michele Swart was also honored during the ceremony.

“This has been a day long-time-coming for me,” she said, after receiving the Silent Partner Award for her dedication and support of her husband’s more than 37 years of service. “It’s great. We’re going to enjoy being together and enjoy this second chapter that God has given us.”

Swart plans to start a business with his wife and volunteer within his community.

263rd CBCS Participates in the 5th CCG Combat Communications Rodeo Story By Tech. Sgt. Nathan Clark

Members of the 263rd Combat Communications Squadron participate in the Combat Communications (CBC) Rodeo while at Robbins Air Force Base, Georgia, Mar. 8, 2019. The CBC Rodeo is a Nationwide training exercise that brings together Combat Communications Squadrons from across the country to train in techniques and skills while networking to increase the potential success of future deployments. Photo courtesy of the 145th Airlift Wing.

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he Air National Guard is always on the lookout for ways to increase effectiveness for missions in an ever changing world. For the North Carolina Air National Guard’s 263rd Combat Communications Squadron, this meant traveling to Robbins Air Force Base, Georgia, for the National Combat Communications Rodeo.

“The Combat Communications (CBC) Rodeo is an opportunity for CBC Units around the world to participate in key training followed by a practical exercise where the newly acquired training can be implemented,” said 2nd Lt. Dustin Absher, a Cyber Operations Officer with the 263rd CBCS. “This is the first time I will be leading a team on an exercise and this is a perfect opportunity to dive into the essentials of Combat Communications.”

Featuring approximately 120 participants from across the Air Force, Combat Communications units help to build camaraderie with fellow combat communicators.

“It should definitely be an annual event with each unit sending as many personnel as funding will allow,” said Tech. Sgt. Robert Nicholson, a Guardsman with the 263rd Combat Communications Squadron.

“Alongside the formal training provided by vendors and other SME’s, the rodeo allows an informal setting for the individual members of our units to meet and make connections that are normally only made in deployed environments.”

The broad mission of a combat communications unit is to deploy, operate, and maintain strategic emergency communications anywhere in the world whether in peacetime or in a combat oriented environment. This means that they need to be prepared to operate in unfamiliar, unforgiving, and unexpected environments; making the need for networking all the more important not just in the real world, but also during the rodeo.

“The CBC Rodeo better prepares us to do our mission for the 145th Airlift Wing by showcasing the different equipment used by the Guard, Reserve, and Active Duty Air Force,” said Master Sergeant Christopher Galbraith, a Guardsman with the 263rd Combat Communications Squadron.

“The opportunity for collaboration is immense. Being able to get help on issues we are facing, as well as providing assistance and training to other units, strengthens our mission capabilities. Finally, the personal

introductions we make across the different Combat Communication Squadrons benefit us throughout our careers. Even though the units are scattered around the world, we are a small community and the odds of seeing one another again is high,” said Galbraith.

“We had many challenges that were felt across all of the units’ radio frequency transmissions sections,” another member of the 263rd Combat Communications Squadron, Master Sgt. Mark Peterson explained, “While these challenges were frustrating at the time, they were very beneficial to the community as a whole. The challenges created a need for all of the units to work together to achieve the objectives set forth by exercise coordinators. Finding solutions to configuration problems, we were able to make connections with all of the other units, creating a larger pool of resources for future collaborations.”

“Different methods, techniques, and viewpoints can be learned and shared with fellow Combat Communications (CBC) personnel in a less critical environment than when deployed. The experience gained in the short time frame of the CBC rodeo would have otherwise taken years to attain," said Nicholson.

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The NCNG Best Warrior Competition 21

Spc. Andrew Brotherton, with the North Carolina National Guard's 430th Explosive Ordinance Disposal, 60th Troop Command, pulls himself along a rope during the obstacle course at the North Carolina Best Warrior Competition March 5, 2019, at the Camp Butner Training Center in Butner, North Carolina.

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Staff Sgt. Christopher Wagner, with the North Carolina National Guard's Recruiting and Retention Battalion, 60th Troop Command, adjusts his hat during the North Carolina Best Warrior Competition March 4, 2019, at the Camp Butner Training Center in Stem, North Carolina.

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orth Carolina National Guard Soldiers’ physical and mental limits are pushed to their boundaries as they compete in the state Best Warrior Competition at the Camp Butner Training Center March 4-8, 2019.

The BWC is an annual competition collecting the best junior enlisted and noncommissioned officers from each Major Subordinate Command in North Carolina to place them in a grueling four-day competition channeling their warrior ethos.

“I think the best warrior [competition] is important overall, because it reaches down to the lowest level,” said Sgt. Maj. Shane Potts, the noncommissioned officer in charge of the BWC. “It digs a little bit deeper into their fortitude, honor, pride to wear the uniform, their competitiveness and their professionalism to endure these events physically and mentally. This is really going to try them at their lowest moments when they feel that they can’t do things, but they have to push to that extra step.”

Sleep deprivation, 22-degree weather and physical fatigue are just a few of the obstacles competitors’ battle throughout the duration of the competition.

Leading up to day one and throughout the competition, the sponsor-competitor duo tackles each event systematically.

“I did a lot of research

just to make sure things hadn’t changed too much,” said Staff Sgt. Jeffrey Wyatt, sponsor to Spc. Alizi Douglas. “I talked to some friends from prior deployments; rangers and special forces guys to see what they do to prepare for these long ruck marches.

I did weapons training at the unit. I developed an entire work out routine and study schedule as soon as we found out he was moving forward.”

Day two starts one of the longest days of the competition, having Soldiers start with an Army Physical Fitness Test, qualifying with a Beretta M9 and an M4 carbine assault rifle, then rolling into a 16-station obstacle course. To top off the day, competitors have two hours to complete a day and night land navigation course.

“You train up to this moment; running everyday and building endurance, but when you go through those first couple of obstacles your already gassed,” said Douglas.

Douglas also admitted that having his sponsor by his side to continue pushing him through the obstacle course helped a lot. He also said being a role model was another source of his motivation to keep going.

“I actually have a sister that just joined today,” said Douglas. “She is joining the National Guard as well. I am just trying to be a role model and show my peers you can do whatever you want to do as long as you put your mind to it.”

The buckling of Soldiers ruck sack clips echo through the air as they prepare to pump out a 12-mile ruck march in the early morning hours, kicking off the third day. Later, warriors put their knowledge to the test as they rise to the occasion of completing Army Warrior Tasks, which include rendering first-aid, weapons disassembly and assembly, and simulating prepping and mounting a claymore mine.

Sprinkled throughout the competition Soldiers and sponsors anticipate mystery events revealed minutes before completing the event.

This forces competitors to draw on common knowledge with no leadtime to prepare.

“I like the mystery events,” said Sgt. 1st Class Brennen Wilson, assigned to the 30th Armored Brigade Combat Team. “When you go to fight our nation’s battles, you don’t know what’s really out there, but if you know your stuff you will always succeed in the mission.”

The last day challenges Soldiers’ mental capacity as they prepare for an appearance board in front of a panel of Command Sergeants Major and engage in a media exercise. Soldiers are asked a number of questions that come from various Army regulations, military history and current affairs impacting the military.

“Coming from the infantry side, we focus a lot on tactics, shooting and movement, but we

don’t really focus on the nuances of the Army; some of the regulations and the bookwork that goes in there. What governs Soldiers and what governs policy?” said Wilson. “He [Wilson’s sponsor] is the one that pointed me on the right path and got me all the study material.”

While the scores are tallied on the final day, competitors and sponsors mingle with the senior leadership and chat with their peers about the best and worst parts of the competition during a banquet.

Spc. Andrew Brotherton and Staff Sgt. Christopher Wagner, assigned to the 60th Troop Command are crowned victorious during the award ceremony.

The winners will move on to the Regional competition in the spring of this year to see who will represent the state of North Carolina at the national competition.

“Congratulations to the winners and the runners up,” Maj. Gen. Greg Lusk, the adjutant general of North Carolina said. “Each and every one of you that competed in these very arduous and austere conditions we have experienced over this last week, you have already proven yourself a cut above the rest. You need to understand how personally proud I am and I know that we as the National Guard are for everything that you have gone through in this last week.”

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Behind the Competition: How Sponsors Make the Competitor in the NCNG Best Warrior Competition Story and Photos by Staff Sgt. Mary Junell

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Sgt. Gary Payne pulls himself along a rope while his sponsor, Staff Sgt. Joshua Covington, encourages him during the obstacle course at the NCNG Best Warrior Competition March 5, 2019.

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Spc. Lynn Cox, navigates over, then under, wood beams during the obstacle course while her sponsor, Staff Sgt. Donald Hill guides and encourages her, at the NCNG Best Warrior Competition March 5, 2019

Hand over hand, a Soldier pulls herself along a rope while hanging upside down, ankles locked around the rope, suspended 10 feet above a pit of shredded rubber pieces.

Just before reaching the platform at the end of the rope, the Soldier lets go of the rope and falls.

“Nothing’s broken, it’s just your pride that's hurt,”

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said Staff Sgt. Donald Hill, the Soldier’s sponsor, as he bent down to check on his competitor.

Then Spc. Lynn Cox, representing the 113th Sustainment Brigade, gets up, dusts herself off, and hurries to the next part of the obstacle course during the North Carolina Best Warrior Competition.

The North Carolina National Guard’s annual competition, held March 4-7, 2019 at the Camp Butner Training Center in Stem, North Carolina, is all about finding the best enlisted Soldier and noncommissioned officer to represent the state in the regional competition in May, but behind every competitor is a sponsor, pushing them to be

their best.

The 2019 competition saw 11 competitors in two categories; six noncommissioned officers and five enlisted soldiers, each of them bringing a sponsor from their unit to help them along the way.

“We’ve been working towards this about three months ago,” said Hill, who like his competitor, is also from the 626th Supply Maintenance Company, 113th Sustainment Brigade.

Hill said that he’s been working with Cox through the unit levels of the competition, helping her, getting to know her and training with her.

“It’s kind of like a brother and sister thing,” said Hill.

“You’re in the same unit together and you see each other every month. I think it helped out a lot knowing that I was here with her, supporting her and cheering her on.”

Sponsors not only encourage their competitors on their quest to be named North Carolina’s Best Warrior, but they also handle most of the logistics that go along with competing at the state level.

“Once they get here the best thing you can do is go behind them, make sure they’ve got all their gear, make sure their gear is ready and check their uniform so they’re ready for anything that gets thrown at them,” said Staff Sgt. Joshua Covington, the sponsor for Sgt. Gary Payne, both with the 694th Supply Maintenance Company, 113th Sustainment Brigade.

The Best Warrior Competition is only four days long but includes a physical fitness test, obstacle course, appearance board, weapons qualification, a written essay, a 12-mile ruck march, a land navigation course, three mystery events and other events that test both the mental and

physical strength of the Soldiers involved. It makes for long days and a lot of moving pieces.

“Without the sponsors, a lot of things wouldn’t get done,” Payne said. “The Soldier can’t be in two places at one time.

The sponsor can take care of logistics stuff while you're practicing fundamentals for the competition, preparing for the appearance board or just resting.”

Before the start of the 12-mile ruck march, sponsors tighten straps on the 35 lb rucksacks their competitors are wearing and hand them bananas and bottled water.

Some of the competitors ride in a 15-passenger van, hoping to catch a glimpse of their Soldiers along the route.

“Keep it up Douglas,” yelled Staff Sgt. Jeff Wyatt as his competitor, Spc. Alizi Douglas passed by the open door of the van.

“I put myself through a lot of this stuff again,” said Wyatt, who competed in a similar competition in 2007 and serves with Douglas in the 690th Brigade Support Battalion, 130th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade. “I put myself through a ruck march at the house. I put on a 50 lb ruck and I took off for 6 miles to make sure I was going to know what he needed to do.”

Often, sponsors are someone who has had experience in the competition, and according to Wyatt, that knowledge and experience are an important part of being a sponsor.

“I wrote an entire plan for work out routines, training, studying, places to get information,” he said. “You have to figure out what their weak points are and help develop those areas.”

The sponsors stay with their Soldiers through every level of the competition, and should they win, travel with them to

the Region III Best Warrior Competition scheduled for May. Sgt. Maj. Shane Potts, the noncommissioned officer in charge for the North Carolina Best Warrior Competition, said the sponsors are even more important as Soldiers move to the higher levels of the competition.

“With a dedicated sponsor,

that sponsor is able to take care of that competitor, make sure they understand the time-line and help them think of the things that will make them more successful,” Potts said.

“They get to know each other, then the sponsors understand exactly what that competitor needs to help them out.”

As competitors cross finish lines and complete events,

sponsors cheer, bring dry clothes and ask their Soldiers how the event went, celebrating the successes and providing encouragement along the way.

The winners of the competition will not only be the Soldiers who are named Best Warrior, but also the sponsors, who were behind the competitors every step of the way.

Staff Sgt. Jeff Wyatt, left, adjust straps on Spc. Alizi Douglas' gear prior to the start of the 12-mile ruck march during the NCNG Best Warrior Competition, March 5, 2019.

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NCNG: Mentors turning negatives into positives at Tarheel ChalleNGe

Story and Photos by Staff Sgt. Leticia Samuels

Parents, mentors and family gathered at the Stanley County Agri-Civic Center in Albemarle, North Carolina to celebrate the graduates of class 51 during a ceremony marking the completion of the life-correcting Tarheel Challenge Academy.

TCA is designed to provide at-risk teens with a second chance to turn their lives around and is a quasi-military program that instills discipline, structure, and values similar to what soldiers experience during basic training.

“I feel extremely happy to be able to share this day with you graduating from the academy,” said Rep. Wayne Sasser, of N.C. House District 67. “I’ll be honest with you, I’m not sure if I could have went through what you have endured, learned, changed your ways and succeeded, but it paid off. Thanks for your perseverance, dedication and you need to take this day and enjoy it. Be happy as we all celebrate what you have accomplished.”

The TCA full-time staff, retired Graduates of class 51’s Tarheel Challenge Academy perform the color guard at the Stanly County Agri-Civic Center auditorium to post the U.S. and N.C. state flag during a ceremony in Albemarle, North Carolina, March 15, 2019.

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service members, commandant and director all contribute to the success of the program.

Also heavily involved with the cadets’ resident course, are the mentors. In addition to providing guidance during the resident phase, mentors help graduates complete a year-long follow up to continue their education, start a full-time job or even join the military.

“They are such a huge piece of our program,” said retired Lt. Col. Maury Williams, director of the New London TCA program. “Sometimes kids will tell their mentors more about them and what’s going on within their life than they will people that they know; specifically people who are in authority over them.”

Not only do citizen soldiers fulfill their call to duty supporting the federal and state missions, but Guardsmen like retired Brig Gen. Kenneth Beard, also find ways to give their time to support the surrounding community.

“As a brigadier general, I got to participate in one of the Salemburg graduations, and I have always been familiar with the academy,” said Beard, sponsor to Cadet Knott.

Beard said he is a family friend and godfather to Knott. Beard’s wife and Adam’s mother were college roommates and kept in touch long after graduating. He also said he offered counsel to the Knott family in the decision to enroll him into TCA. “He needed the environment and an opportunity with the people involved in his life helping him understand the importance of his decisions and getting him the means by which to see the results of that and then play it out,” said Beard. “That is what the Tarheel Challenge is all about. His issues were about the way he was living his life. This is an important mark for him to realize and understand that there is responsibility around growing up, and he needed to exercise a little bit of patience. One of the things I told him is ‘engage the brain before you engage the mouth.’”

Knott and many other at-risk teens like him are one of the main reasons the TCA program was established in surrounding communities.

“It was a rough start for me,” said Knott.

“It is definitely not for everybody. It brings

Cadet Adam Knott of class 51 shakes hands with Tarheel Challenge Academy guests after accepting his diploma during a graduation ceremony in Albemarle, North Carolina at the Stanly County Agri-Civic Center March 15, 2019.

kids from all different cultures and social classes. It was an eye-opening experience for me.”

Cadets undergo a rigorous 22-week resident course where they are exposed to cultural awareness, conflict resolution, selfbuilding exercises, life skills, and teamwork.

“I started getting a bad reputation around my school,” said Knott. “I knew how smart I was, but I wanted other kids to see it. I knew I needed help, and I couldn’t do it alone. My mentor; he is like family. He encouraged me the whole way. He sent me letters every week.”

Knott reflected on a time during his resident course when he was unable to leave during his mentor visit.

“At one point on one of the mentor dates, I couldn’t go off campus,” said Knott. “He brought firewood, a tent, and hamburgers to grill out there in the TCA parking lot. That is when I realized how much he actually loves me. He treats me like his own son.”

The TCA program is also open to the community who are willing to donate their time and experience. Patricia Chandler, the public information officer for TCA in New London, mentioned that there was a need for another one of the cadets in class 51. This inspired Beau Linker, a pastor of the New London community.

“Youth ministry is something we are really passionate about,” said Linker. “We have been to a couple of the graduations but not really hands on. When Trish came to us and said that there was a young lady that didn’t have a mentor, we jumped at the chance to help. It has been a real blessing to get to meet Heather and her family.”

The Linkers had the opportunity to meet and mentor a cadet for the first time even though they started later in the program.

“You don’t meet teenagers like that,” said Linker. “You can tell they appreciate their second chance and a new lease on life.” Our cadet [Heather] really felt that, and she exceeded here. We have just been incredibly proud of her. It has been neat to see; just in the short time that we have known each other, her progression and growth.”

The stressful environment causes cadets to adapt in a short time, which could warrant additional help and influence.

“There some really nice people,” said Heather Forbes, a cadet assigned to class 51.

“They helped get a bunch of stuff I needed and giving me the emotional boost that I needed to complete the program.”

Forbes mentioned joining the Air Force and taking up a degree in Chemistry as a way forward. She also said this program helped her in ways she may not have found going

through the public school system.

“The concept of Challenge itself is a good program as long as you have candidates willing to put in the work,” said Forbes. “It’s helped push me through. I have graduated early with more than I would have. I graduated with honors and two points below the valedictorian. Back at my regular school, I probably wouldn’t have even been on the radar.”

The Tarheel Challenge Academy, sponsored by the North Carolina National Guard, marked its grand opening in New London in September 2015. Since its inception, the community has shown its support.

Cadets work toward attaining their General Education Development (GED) and have the opportunity to take the Armed Service Vocational Aptitude Battery exam, the Scholastic Assessment Test and participate in community service and fundraisers.

This TCA program has a sister location in Salemburg that has been in operation for over 25 years and graduated over 5,000 Cadets.

“The community is awesome,” said Williams. “We love New London and everything about the community. Everybody between New London and Albemarle has been so supportive. They believe in our mission.”

(from left to right) Charles Knott (father), Cadet Adam Knott and Victoria Knott (mother) stand with retired Brig. Gen. Kenneth Beard, sponsor to Cadet Knott, after celebrating a graduation ceremony for Adam and graduates of Class 51 at the Stanly County Agri-Civic Center in Albemarle North Carolina March 15, 2019, from the Tarheel Challenge Academy.

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