Chicago Soldier Named 108th Sustainment Brigade's NCO of the Year

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SPRINGFIELD, IL (08/17/2011)(readMedia)-- Out of roughly 2,100 Soldiers in the 108th Sustainment Brigade in Chicago, Sgt. 1st Class A.S. Chehade, of Chicago, with 108th Special Troops Battalion in Chicago, was named the brigade's Noncommissioned Officer (NCO) of the Year following a two-day competition Aug. 13 and 14 at Camp Lincoln in Springfield.

Chehade said he spent hours on the treadmill studying and training to prepare for the competition. Chehade said he has wanted to participate in a Soldier of the Year competion and finally earned the opportunity to represent his unit against other top Illinois Army National Guard Soldiers in the brigade.

"In a competition like this, everybody's game was raised and they feed off each other in terms of doing the very best we could," said Chehade.

"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," said Command Sgt. Maj. John Burns of Benld, senior enlisted adviser of the 108th.

The process starts at the company level as units identify the Soldiers who have the skills to represent their unit, said Burns. After the company level, Soldiers continue to the battalion and then to brigade competitions with hopes of representing the brigade in the state competition for the Illinois Army National Guard's top Soldier and NCO of the Year.

"Companies have to properly select the Soldier and test them as they make (their) way through the competition levels," said Burns. "When you get to the state-level competition it's a tough four-day competition, physically and mentally. Soldiers will be tested on their knowledge of military customs and courtesies, current events, and the knowledge expected of leaders; and pushed to their physical limits in combatives, road marching and weapons skills," he said.

Burns said Soldiers study and train with the aid of their sponsors, typically senior NCOs who mentor and develop candidates.

Burns said the success of the brigade competition was due to the aid of the 108th's support staff in the personnel and the training and operations sections.

Chehade and Spc. Benjamin Latham of Harvard, the 108th's Soldier of the Year will represent the brigade against the Soldiers and NCOs of the Year from three other Illinois Army National Guard brigades at the state-level competition in September. The winners of the state competition will go on to represent Illinois in the regional competition against states in the region.

For high resolution photos, please contact the Illinois National Guard Public Affairs Office at ngilstaffpao@ng.army.mil

U.S. Army photo by by Sgt. Michael Camacho, 108th Sustainment Brigade Public Affairs/ Sgt. 1st Class A.S. Chehade, of Chicago, with the 108th Special Troops Battalion in Chicago, was named the brigade's Noncommissioned Officer of the Year following a two-day competition Aug. 13 and 14 at Camp Lincoln in Springfield. He will represent the brigade against the Soldiers of the Year from three other Illinois Army National Guard brigades at the state-level competition in September. The winners of the state competition will go on to represent Illinois in the regional competition against area states.

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