Genesee County man named top noncommissioned officer in National Guard's 27th Infantry Brigade
Sgt. 1st Class Travis Wood, a Basom resident, will represent the 3,600-man unit during New York National Guard Best Warrior Competition
Latham, New York (11/07/2023) — New York Army National Guard Sgt. 1st Travis Wood, 32, a Basom resident, was named top noncommissioned officer in the 3,600-member 27th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, following a Nov. 3 to 5 military skills competition.
Wood, an infantryman who is assigned to Charlie Troop of the 2ndSquadron, 101st Cavalry, will represent the brigade during the New York Army National Guard's statewide Best Warrior Competition in the spring of 2024.
The unit is based at the Masten Avenue Armory in Buffalo.
The competition involves physical fitness, marksmanship, and military knowledge.
"The Best Warrior Competition tests a Soldier's mind, body, and spirit," said Command Sgt. Maj. Kevin Roeser, the 27th Infantry Brigade's top enlisted leader.
Over two and a half days from Nov. 3 through 5, Soldiers were evaluated in six events:
- A Formal interview board in dress uniform
- A 12-mile ruck march carrying a 35-pound pack.
- A Three-gun shoot, combining rifle, pistol, and shotgun qualification with ten burpees, a high crawl, and 25 air squats.
- Warrior tasks and battle drills
- Land navigation
- The Army Combat Fitness Test
Soldiers also had to submit a paper on their Army experience, with junior enlisted competitors focusing on how to improve peer relationships and best prepare for military schools, and NCOs focusing on how to improve leadership, operations, and management.
During the warrior tasks and battle drills, Soldiers were challenged to bound with a buddy while under fire - taking cover behind barriers, crawling under obstacles, and firing back at an enemy. Once they cleared the challenge, they had to immediately provide care to a simulated wounded Soldier under stressful conditions.
"Adding a lot of pressure like screaming, battle sounds, and even putting pressure like hinting at the time - that can allow them to perform under pressure in real scenarios," said Staff Sgt. Danielle Dillard, a combat medic evaluating Soldiers on their medical skills.
Competitors were chosen as the best-of-the-best from thousands of 27th IBCT Soldiers across the state, after completing competitions at their home units. Fillion and Wood spent extra time preparing for the challenges at the brigade-level.
Wood has served for 14 years, and returned this summer from a deployment to Germany, where he helped train members of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
In civilian life, Wood works as an area manager for Amazon.
Specialist Peter Fillion, 23, of Rochester, who is in the same unit as Wood, took first place in the enlisted Soldier category.
Media Attachments
New York Army National Guard Sgt. 1st Class Travis Wood, an infantryman assigned to C Troop, 2nd Squadron, 101st Cavalry Regiment, 27th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, poses for a photo in the Connecticut Street Armory in Buffalo, N.Y., Nov. 5, 2023. Wood came in first place in the NCO category of the 27th IBCT’s annual best warrior competition. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Maj. Avery Schneider)
New York Army National Guard Sgt. 1st Class Travis Wood, an infantryman assigned to C Troop, 2nd Squadron, 101st Cavalry Regiment, 27th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, plots a course during a land navigation exercise in Orchard Park, N.Y., Nov. 4, 2023. The exercise was one of six challenging events in the 27th IBCT’s annual best warrior competition. Wood finished first in the noncommissioned officer category. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Maj. Avery Schneider)