Plains soldier earns prestigious Army National Guard honor

The Daily Inter Lake

The National Guard Bureau announced this week that Plains resident Sgt. Ryan Brubaker was named the Army National Guard's Noncommissioned Officer of the Year following a competition at Fort Benning, Ga.

The competition was two grueling days with little sleep and events designed to stress the candidates both physically and mentally. Approximately 14 soldiers competed Aug. 1-2 for the right to be called the two best soldiers among the Army Guard's more than 323,000 enlisted men and women and to advance to the Army's "Best Warrior" competition for top soldier.

The winners and runners-up were announced recently during the Enlisted Association of the National Guard of the United States' 38th annual conference.

Brubaker will next compete for the Department of the Army's Noncommisioned Officer of the Year honors in the fall at Fort Lee, Va. He is a member of B. Company, 1-163rd Cavalry Armored Battalion, headquartered in Missoula.

Brubaker was previously selected as the NCO of the Year for the 1-163rd CAB as well as the Region VI NCO of the Year for the Army Guard, making him eligible to compete against other Army National Guard Soldiers from around the United States to be named the Army National Guard NCO of the Year.

In order to make it to this level, competitors had already competed and won at the unit level, major command level, the state level and then the regional level.

Events included performing a functions check on an M-16A2 rifle, calling for artillery fire, emplacing and recovering an M18A1 Claymore mine and evaluating and treating a casualty. The competition also included events that were more physically demanding. The competitors began by taking a modified Army Physical Fitness Test. The pushups and sit-ups were the same, but a five-mile run replaced the traditional two-mile run and competitors then had to do pull-ups. Later in the day, all took part in a combat water survival test. They were required to swim in full uniform and with a weapon after jumping into the water blindfolded.

Brubaker has been deployed twice to Iraq, both while on active duty with the 10th Mountain Division. This is the second year in a row that a Montana Army National Guard Soldier has won this competition.