Staff Sgt. Garrett Cummings, Troy National Guard Soldier, is New York Army Guard NCO of the Year

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Staff Sgt. Garrett Cummings

LATHAM, NY (04/26/2016)(readMedia)-- New York Army National Guard Staff Sgt. Garrett Cummings, a Troy resident, has been named the New York Army National Guard's Non-Commissioned Officer of the Year following the New York Best Warrior Competition at Camp Smith Training Site near Peekskill, April 20-24.

Cummings, a veteran of the Iraq War, is a full-time Guard Soldier who serves with the 106th Regional Training Institute, which is headquartered at Camp Smith.

The Best Warrior Competition pits the top Non-Commissioned Officers and Junior Enlisted Soldiers from the New York Army National Guard's units across New York against each other to pick representatives to compete in the northeast regional Best Warrior competition. Winners at that event compete against other National Guard Soldiers for the right to compete against the best Soldiers from the Active Army and Army Reserve.

The competition tests the Soldiers physical ability, military knowledge, land navigation skills, and marksmanship.

One event is the stress shoot, in which the Soldiers engage targets with the M-4 carbine and M-9 pistol after conducting physical activity ranging from rescuing a simulated casualty to donning a gas mask.

The Soldiers also conducted a 12 kilometer timed road march carrying a 35 pound pack.

Soldiers also got a chance to earn the German Military Proficiency Badge which includes a time 1000 meter race, and swimming 100 meters in full uniform.

Cummings will compete in the regional Best Warrior competition at Camp Niantic Connecticut in May.