It was a big week for soldiers of the Army Reserves at Fort Harrison as a nationwide competition was taking place, ABC Montana's Joe Moeller shows a little more about what this competition is all about.
This week soldiers from Army Reserve Medical Command Hospitals from all over the nation traveled to Helena's Fort Harrison to compete in the ultimate challenge, the 2014 Best Warrior Competition.
"It has been going on for the entire week, we have had 13 soldiers representing the five brigades of the army reserve medical command here doing our final divisional competition." said Commanding General of the Army Reserve Medical Command Bryan R. Kelly.
Soldiers endured challenges that test their tactics training and experience in a variety of combat areas.
Physical fitness tests, day land navigation, urban orienteering courses, road marches, tactical combat casually care, and a written essay all were parts of the competition.
"This is probably the hardest thing I have ever done in my life. It makes me realize there is a long ways to go to be the soldier that I want to be and a soldier I know I can be." said Spc. Stephen Powell, a participant in the competition.
Powell, a Montana native took his body and mind to the test this week to challenge other soldiers from all over the country here in his home state.
"It means being a lot from Montana, to be able to host it here. Being in my homeland with my unit, everybody here, I mean they are supporting me even though they can't really vocalize it because of favoritism, but it means a lot being in front of my unit." added Powell.
From this competition, the winners Specialist Keith Lewis and Staff Sgt. Jeremy Maglott, head to New Jersey to compete at the U.S. Army Reserve level, then the winners head to the last competition in Virginia to compete against all departments in the military.
This annual competition is a big deal to soldiers who train year around at their hopes of being the best warrior of 2014.
