NY Army Guard Sgt . Ethan Hart, a Whitesboro resident, is recognized for competing in Army Best Medic Competition

Latham, NY (06/27/2022) — New York Army National Guard Sgt. Ethan Hart, Whitesboro resident and combat medic assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 108th Infantry Regiment, was presented with a challenge coin and certificate of appreciation for his participation in the U.S. Army Best Medic Competition held in Texas earlier this year.

During the ceremony, held at Fort Drum, near Watertown, Command Sgt. Maj. David Piwowarski, the senior enlisted advisor for the New York Army National Guard, presented the certificate along with a challenge coin from Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael A. Grinston.

"Sgt. Hart did an outstanding job at this competition with little to no time to prepare," Piwowarski said.

Hart is currently training at Fort Drum with 1,100 other New York Army National Guard Soldiers preparing to deploy to the Horn of African in the fall.

Hart and Staff Sgt. Dylan Delamarter, the 2nd Battalion, 108th Infantry Regiment medical platoon sergeant were among 21 teams vying to be the best combat medics in the Army at Fort Hood, Texas in January.

They did not win, but just showing up and finishing put them in a select category of the Army's 82,000 medical personnel, Lt. Gen. R. Scott Dingle, the surgeon general of the Army, said at the time.

Hart and Delamarter went up against teams from the Army's active-duty divisions, medical commands and the Ranger Regiment.

It was physically and mentally demanding, the weather was rainy and cold, the ruck marches were long, the days were long, there was too little sleep and they felt like they fit right in, Hart said.

Competition events included a 13-mile march in the rain, M-4 rifle marksmanship, carrying simulated casualties using a two-person litter, and dragging a patient in a plastic "sked."

At the same time, the Soldiers were carrying rucksacks weighing 65 or so pounds. They were also often wet, as it rained regularly during the competition.

Hart is a holder of the Expert Field Medic Badge, which he earned during a competition at Fort Drum in the fall of 2021.

The 2nd Battalion, 108th Infantry Regiment is headquartered in Utica, NY and is part of the 27th Infantry Brigade Combat Team.

The 108th Infantry was formed in 1898 and has seen service in the Spanish-American war, WW1 and WW2.

During the war on terror the 108th deployed to Iraq in 2004, and had elements deploy to Afghanistan in 2008 and 2012.

For more information about the New York Army National Guard, visit www.dmna.ny.gov.

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