New York National Guard Soldiers Compete for Best Warrior Title at Camp Smith
Media Advisory
CAMP SMITH TRAINING SITE, CORTLANDT MANOR, NY (03/27/2019) — The New York Army National Guard's top eight Soldiers and Non-Commissioned Officers will compete in the state's Best Warrior Competition at the National Guard's Camp Smith Training Site here Wednesday through Saturday, March 27-30.
Members of the media are invited to visit Camp Smith on Thursday, March 28, at 1 p.m. to cover the stress shoot portion of the competition.
WHO: Seven New York Army National Guard Soldiers, including six men and one woman, from across the state.
WHAT: A competition testing the Soldiers' physical fitness, military knowledge, endurance, marksmanship, and land navigation skills. New York Army National Guard units send Soldiers who did well at their perspective unit-level competitions. Soldiers who win at the New York State event will advance to the regional level to decide who will compete against representatives of both the Active Army and United States Army Reserve. The competition is also structured to provide Soldiers with the opportunity to earn the German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge.
WHEN: Media opportunity on Thursday, March 28, at 1 p.m.
WHERE: Camp Smith Training Site on Routes 6 and 20 in Cortlandt Manor, just north of Peekskill.
For access to this secure military facility, members of the media must contact Capt. Phyonne Reynolds at 518-949-1526.
Visual and Coverage Opportunities:
Visual imagery opportunities include Soldiers performing weapons qualifications during a "stress shoot" event, which tests their ability to engage silhouetted targets with pistol, rifle or shotgun while maneuvering, pulling a simulated casualty, and carrying weighted cans. Interviews with senior leaders and participants can be coordinated.
BACKGROUND:
New York Army National Guard Best Warrior Competition:
During the competition, enlisted Soldiers and noncommissioned officers (NCOs) from across New York State will compete against each other for the Best Warrior title in Soldier and NCO categories.
The winners at Camp Smith will go on to compete against National Guard Soldiers in Region 1, which consists of eight eastern states. The winners of that Army National Guard competition, in turn, will face off against their counterparts from the Active Army and the U.S. Army Reserve.
The competition also tests the Soldiers' knowledge in the areas of military justice, current events and Army history, security and intelligence operations, military courtesy, leadership, counseling and how to deal with chemical and biological weapons. The participants negotiate land navigation courses by day and night, and take an Army Physical Fitness Test to determine who gets the top score.
Participants are quizzed by a board of senior sergeants who evaluate them on their ability to handle stress and military appearance. They are graded in their ability to handle hands-on military tasks, as well as their marksmanship ability with the M-4. The contestants must qualify with their assigned weapon and also score well during the "Stress Shoot" event that involves firing several different weapons.
Soldiers will also compete in a 12-kilometer road march carrying a 35-pound pack around West Point.
Camp Smith Training Site:
Camp Smith is the largest of three training locations owned by the state of New York and operated by the New York State Division of Military and Naval Affairs for the New York National Guard. The 1,613 acre facility includes 126 acres housing 50 buildings, along with 229 acres of range and 1,256 acres of wooded training area. The site was first used by New York to train state militia in 1888. Camp Smith has been in continual use since then.
Soldiers can train on M-4 carbines, M-16 rifles, M-240B machineguns, M-9 pistols, and the M-14 sniper rifle at the existing ranges, and conduct infantry tactical training on the wooded hillsides. Along with units of the New York Army National Guard, Army Reserve, local, state and federal law enforcement agencies, and the Corps of Cadets at the United States Military Academy at West Point, use the training facilities.
Camp Smith is also home to the headquarters of the all-volunteer New York Guard and houses patrol boats used by the New York Naval Militia.
Media Attachments
U.S. Army Spc. Robert Marino, a military police assigned to the 107th Military Police Company, 104th Military Police Battalion, New York Army National Guard (NYARNG), runs through smoke during the stress shoot event of the NYARNG Best Warrior Competition at Camp Smith Training Site, N.Y., April 19, 2018. The Best Warrior Competition, held April 18-22, 2018, is an annual event in which junior enlisted Soldiers and non-commissioned officers from various New York Army National Guard units compete in several events intended to test their military skills and knowledge, as well as their physical fitness and endurance. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. Harley Jelis)
U.S. Army Sgt. Quentin Davis, a signal support systems specialist assigned to Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 69th Infantry Regiment, New York Army National Guard (NYARNG), loads his M249 Squad Automatic Weapon during the stress shoot event of the NYARNG Best Warrior Competition at Camp Smith Training Site, N.Y., April 19, 2018. The Best Warrior Competition, held April 18-22, 2018, is an annual event in which junior enlisted Soldiers and non-commissioned officers from various New York Army National Guard units compete in several events intended to test their military skills and knowledge, as well as their physical fitness and endurance. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. Harley Jelis)
New York National Guard
Capt. Phyonne Reynolds at 518-949-1526Share this Story
Recent News
- NY National Guard Leader Retires after 33 Years
- NY Army National Guard Major Kimberly McCarty, a Monroe resident, takes command of Explosive Ordnance Disposal battalion
- Air Guard Lt. Col. Charles Longlois, a Mayfield resident, retires after 42 years of service
- Command Chief Master Sgt. Joseph Cohan, a Bethel resident, named senior enlisted leader for New York Air Guard's 105th Airlift Wing
- Slingerlands resident awarded Air and Space Commendation medal for actions while deployed in Iraq
- Air Guard Col. Kristopher Geis, a Newburgh resident, retires after 38 years of Service
- Army Guard Capt. Brian Gifford, a Guilderland resident, retires after 27 years of Army and Air Guard service
- 42 Infantry Division Band performs in Hudson Valley, Long Island, and New York City August 1 to August 9
- Cornwall resident, and West Point graduate, Matt Kilgore promoted to colonel in the New York Army National Guard
- Averill Park resident Ryan Brountas promoted to lieutenant colonel in the New York Army National Guard