HEIDELBERG, Germany — Now it gets even tougher for Army Spc. Jason Boatwright and Army Staff Sgt. Ronald White.
Boatwright and White were honored Thursday at Campbell Barracks when they were named Installation Management Command-Europe’s Soldier of the Year and Noncommissioned Officer of the Year.
They also received other rewards, including a $1,000 savings bond from IMCOM-Europe’s Morale, Welfare and Recreation and an Army Commendation medal, after months of intense preparation and squaring off against other grunts earlier this month.
They were tested on weapons, regulations, physical fitness, land navigation and other tasks at Grafenwöhr, Germany.
Next up for the men is a similar competition — only more intense and Army-wide — in September at Fort A.P. Hill in Virginia. That competition is dubbed Soldier NCO of the Year Warrior of the Year.
"It means a lot to me," White said about winning IMCOM-Europe. "It builds esprit de corps. It just gets harder.
"The competition was very intense. They gave me a run for my money."
White, 24, from Stockton, Calif., said he spent several hours each weekday for months preparing for the challenge. He did rucksack marches and was quizzed and drilled verbally by his senior NCOs.
He said he expects no letup in the preparations for Fort A.P. Hill, and his bosses told him he would get ready by doing some training with Special Forces. He serves as a military police officer with Higher Headquarters Company in Stuttgart, Germany.
"I competed against the best (in Europe) and I won," said Boatwright, 28, from Madera, Calif. "At first, I didn’t know what to expect. You have to go in with your game face on."
Boatwright, a chaplain’s assistant at U.S. Army Garrison Heidelberg, Germany, said he put in long hours getting ready for Grafenwöhr.
"It was a mental and physical challenge. It was an eye-opener," he said. "You learn your weaknesses."
The specialist said he expects the next level to involve more testing and be more grueling physically.
"They will be competing against a pretty high level of competition," said Army Command Sgt. Maj. Mark Barbary, who is helping White prepare for what they will face stateside.
