New York Army National Guard Holds Best Warrior Competition

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A soldier on the range during the 2013 Best Warrior Competition.

CAMP SMITH TRAINING SITE, NY (04/03/2014)(readMedia)-- The New York State Division of Military and Naval Affairs and the New York National Guard's Camp Smith Training Site will host the state's top enlisted Army National Guard Soldiers and Non-Commissioned Officers (sergeants, or NCOs) here for a military skills competition here April 4 to 6.

Members of the media are invited to visit Camp Smith on Friday, April 4 at 2 p.m. to cover some of the most exciting parts of the competition.

WHO: 12 New York Army National Guard Soldiers 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 sends Soldiers who did well at (unit competitions?). Soldiers who win at the New York State event will go on to compete against other Army Guard Soldiers to decide who will compete against representatives of the Active Army and the United States Army Reserve.

WHEN: Media opportunity on Friday, April 4 at 2 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 Sgt 1st Class Ray Drumsta at 607-592-2070.

Visual and Coverage Opportunities:

Visual imagery opportunities include Soldier moving between skill evaluations on the Camp Smith training site. Interviews with leaders and competition participants can be coordinated.

BACKGROUND:

New York Army National Guard Best Warrior Competition:

During the competition 12 enlisted Soldiers from across New York State will compete against each other for the Best Warrior title in four categories: Active Guard-Reserve (AGR) Soldier, Traditional Soldier (M-Day), AGR NCO and M-Day NCO.

The winners at Camp Smith will go on to compete against National Guard Soldiers from around the country. 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, field sanitation, 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, as well. 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 weapon and also score well during the "Stress Shoot" event which tests their ability to engage man-sized targets while maneuvering, and pulling a simulated casualty.

Soldiers also participate in a 10 kilometer road march around the Camp Smith site.

The Soldiers will also have the opportunity to tour the United States Military Academy, which is just up the Hudson River from Camp Smith, and to have lunch in one of the Academy Dining Facilities.

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 of main that includes 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.

Images from the 2013 competition are available for media use at the NY National Guard Flickr site at

https://www.flickr.com/photos/nyng/sets/72157633084366077/with/8589781592/

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