Las Vegas, NV –
By Capt. Jessica Rovero
USAREC Public Affairs
April 25, 2018
LAS VEGAS – The U.S. Army Recruiting Command announced its newest Sgt. Audie Murphy Club inductees and the winners of the Best Warrior Competition at the conclusion of a weeklong event here, April 18.
Thirty-two SAMC hopefuls and six Best Warrior competitors spent the week in the 6th Recruiting Brigade footprint demonstrating their leadership, knowledge and competence while competing amongst the best non-commissioned officers the command has to offer.
The following 16 NCOs are the USAREC Fiscal Year 2018 SAMC inductees:
Sgt. 1st Class Adam Belvin
Sgt. 1st Class James Carmarda
Sgt. 1st Class Phyllis Harp
Sgt. 1st Class Jeremy Kenney
Sgt. 1st Class Nate Moss
Sgt. 1st Class Nicholas Razzano
Sgt. 1st Class Anthony Smart
Sgt. 1st Class Troy Wooten
Staff Sgt. Erman Blevins
Staff Sgt. Gary Burns
Staff Sgt. Jason Gantz
Staff Sgt. Billie Getche
Staff Sgt. Andrew Keum
Staff Sgt. China Lee
Staff Sgt. Justin Talalotu
Staff Sgt. Jack Taylor
Staff Sgt. Justin Linquist 3rd Recruiting Brigade
3rd Recruiting Brigade
Recruiting and Retention College
Medical Recruiting Brigade
Medical Recruiting Brigade
5th Recruiting Brigade
5th Recruiting Brigade
Recruiting and Retention College
3rd Recruiting Brigade
1st Recruiting Brigade
6th Recruiting Brigade
5th Recruiting Brigade
6th Recruiting Brigade
3rd Recruiting Brigade
Medical Recruiting Brigade
5th Recruiting Brigade
5th Recruiting Brigade
The winner of the USAREC 2018 Best Warrior Competition is Sgt. 1st Class Jordan Ferrari, 3rd Recruiting Brigade, and the runner-up is Sgt. 1st Class Robert Eichelberger III, Recruiting and Retention College.
Ferrari will represent USAREC in the Training and Doctrine Command’s Best Warrior Competition, and in the event she cannot attend, Eichelberger will compete in her place.
“Your performance over the last week has inspired me,” said USAREC Command Sgt. Major Anthony Stoneburg. “It makes me want to be a better Soldier, a better leader, and it’s awesome to know we have such tremendous Soldiers across the organization.”
The SAMC is a private U.S. Army organization for non-commissioned officers, and according to TRADOC Regulation 600-14, “members exemplify leadership characterized by personal concern for the needs, training, development, and welfare of Soldiers and concern for families of Soldiers.”
All those who wanted the opportunity to become part of the SAMC had to receive a recommendation from the battalion and brigade chains of command. The SAMC board consisted of an Army Physical Fitness Test, a written essay, and an intensive board.
This year the Best Warrior Competition was separated from the Recruiter of the Year Competition and encompassed warrior tasks and battle drills. The events included an APFT, a written essay, combatives drills and tournament, land navigation, situational training exercise lanes, a 12-mile ruck march, zero and qualification on the M4 Rifle, weapons assembly and disassembly, and an Army knowledge board that spanned over the course of five days.
“On behalf of Maj. Gen. Snow, I want to congratulate you all for being here … and I’m proud of each and every one of you,” Stoneburg said. “I know the brigade sergeants major feel the same way; we couldn’t be more proud of what your efforts were while you were here.”