New York National Guard Sgt. Quentin Davis, an Astoria, Queens resident, wins Best Warrior competition

Camp Smith Training Site, N.Y. (05/14/2018) — New York Army National Guard Sgt. Quentin Davis, an Astoria, Queens's resident and a member of the 1st Battalion 69th Infantry, has been named the New York Army National Guard's top non-commissioned officer for 2018.

Davis, a signal support systems specialists in the 69th Infantry's Headquarters Company, was named Best Warrior in the category which includes sergeants, staff sergeants, and sergeants first class, following a competition held April 18-22 at the National Guard's Camp Smith Training Site near Peekskill and the United States Military Academy at West Point.

Davis competed against four other New York Army National Guard Soldiers.

He will now compete against seven Soldiers from New England and New Jersey to be the best in the northeast region May 16-19 at the Camp Smith Training Site. The winner in that competition goes on to compete against National Guard Soldiers from across the country.

The competition is both physically and mentally demanding, Davis said.

"You see the schedule, and what it entails, and know you have to get up and be ready for each event," Davis said.

Another member of the 1st Battalion, 69th Infantry -Specialist Ilya Titov-- was named best warrior in the enlisted category which includes Soldiers in the rank of private through specialist.

Davis joined the New York Army National Guard in 2009. He is a full-time member of the National Guard who has served in the 222nd Military Police Company, in Rochester; the 187th Signal Company in Farmingdale; and the 42nd Combat Aviation Brigade in Latham before joining the 1st Battalion 69th Infantry at the Lexington Avenue Armory in New York.

He deployed to Qatar in 2013-2014.

The best warrior competition tests a Soldier's physical fitness, military knowledge, marksmanship, and military skills.

The evaluated tasks, specifically designed to mirror what Soldiers must do in combat, included urban warfare simulations, a 12-mile forced march, Soldier tasks and battle drills, marksmanship and board interviews, physical fitness tests, and written exams.

The Soldiers also had the opportunity to compete and earn the German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge thanks to an arrangement with the German Army Liaison Office at the United States Military Academy. West Point is located just across the Hudson River from Camp Smith.

The competition tested each Soldier in various events such as:

• Ten "hands-on" Army warrior tasks.
• First aid on the battlefield.
• Land navigation using a map and compass.
• The Army Physical Fitness Test.
• Day and night land navigation.
• Stress shooting, where Soldiers must negotiate obstacles and perform physical tasks while shooting;

And a military appearance board answering questions of the Guard's senior enlisted force.

In the past, the road march, in which Soldiers carry a 25-pound load and a weapon, was held at Camp Smith. This year it was held at the United States Military Academy at West Point and finished at the Fort Putnam historic site high above the Hudson River.

This marked the third year that the competitors also had the opportunity to earn the German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge during the competition.

The German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge is one of the few approved foreign awards American service members can wear. The first phase consist of the basic fitness test, which included an 11x10 meter sprint, chin-ups, and 1000 meter run.

Davis earned this award along with being named Best Warrior.

Davis awards include the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, the New York Soldier of the Year Award, the National Defense Service Medal, the Overseas Service Ribbon, the Air Assault Badge and the Rams Head Device awarded to Soldiers who graduate from Winter Basic Military Mountain School.

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