Camp Point, Lisle Soldiers prevail in the 108th Sustainment Brigade's Best Warrior Competition

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Sgt. Michael Quigley of Camp Point with Detachment 1, 1844th Transportation Company in Beardstown, was named the 108th Sustainment Brigade’s Noncommissioned Officer the Year.

• Spc. Zachary Lange of Lisle, Ill., with 708th Medical Company in North Riverside, Ill., was named the 108th Sustainment Brigade’s Soldier the Year following a two-day competition Aug. 10 and 11.

SPRINGFIELD, IL (08/12/2013)(readMedia)-- Following a two-day competition two Soldiers prevailed in the 108th Sustainment Brigade's 2013 Best Warrior Competition Aug. 10 and 11 at Camp Lincoln in Springfield, Ill.

The Best Warrior Competition tests the military knowledge, Soldier skills and physical readiness of Soldiers and noncommissioned officers (NCO) to decide who is the brigade best of the best.

Spc. Zachary Lange of Lisle, Ill., with the 708th Medical Company in North Riverside, Ill., was named the 108th's Soldier of the Year and Sgt. Michael Quigley of Camp Point, Ill., with Detachment 1, 1844th Transportation Company in Beardstown, Ill., was named the 108th's NCO of the Year.

"It feels good to know the hard work both physically and mentally has paid off and I'm looking forward to representing the 108th at the state level," said Quigley.

Quigley competed at the state level last year as the 108th's Soldier of the Year.

"I'm definitely looking forward to the state competition and hopefully I'm going to bring it home this year," said Quigley. "I came a little short last year, but this year I'll have a little more experience and hopefully I'll win it this time."

Lange said he was proud and honored to receive the title of 108th's Soldier of the Year as he now prepares to represent the 108th at the state level competition in September.

"I'm looking forward to it, sounds like four days of fun. It'll be a good challenge," said Lange.

The enlisted Soldiers and noncommissioned officers are the key component for the Illinois National Guard to be successful, said Command Sgt. Maj. John Burns of Benld, Ill., senior enlisted adviser of the 108th.. The competition indentifies those enlisted Soldiers who excel and display key leadership and military traits.

"The purpose of the Soldier of the Year competition is to find a Soldier who embodies the 'be, know, do, lead by example' type Soldier in our brigade,"

Companies select a Soldier and NCO who stands out among their peers to go on to compete representing their unit through the battalion and brigade level competitions, said Burns. Tested in areas of Soldier knowledge and physical readiness, the brigade Soldier and NCO of the Year will go on to the state-level competition to face off against other top brigade Soldiers and NCOs of the

roughly 10,000 Soldiers of the Illinois Army National Guard.

Quigley and Lange will advance to represent the brigade against the Soldiers and NCOs of the Year from four other Illinois Army National Guard commands at the state-level competition in September. The winners of the state competition will go on to represent Illinois in the Regional Best Warrior Competition against neighboring states in the region.

U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Michael Camacho, 108th Sustainment Brigade Public Affairs/Sgt. Michael Quigley of Camp Point with Detachment 1, 1844th Transportation Company in Beardstown, was named the 108th Sustainment Brigade's Noncommissioned Officer the Year following a two-day competition Aug. 10 and 11 at Camp Lincoln in Springfield, Ill.

U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Michael Camacho, 108th Sustainment Brigade Public Affairs/ Spc. Zachary Lange of Lisle, Ill., with 708th Medical Company in North Riverside, Ill., was named the 108th Sustainment Brigade's Soldier the Year following a two-day competition Aug. 10 and 11 at Camp Lincoln in Springfield, Ill.