GRAFENWÖHR, Germany — A Grafenwöhr-based noncommissioned officer has won the Army’s 2009 Best Warrior Competition.

Sgt. 1st Class Aaron Beckman, a senior small group leader at Grafenwöhr’s 7th Army Noncommissioned Officer Academy, competed against 22 other soldiers during the weeklong competition from Sept. 27 to Oct. 2 at Fort Lee, Va.

During the contest, soldiers faced written examinations, questions from a military board, day-and-night land navigation, live-fire ranges and combatives competition.

Beckman, 31, of Venango, Neb., was traveling back to Germany on Friday and unavailable for an interview, according to Joint Multinational Training Command public affairs officer Denver Makle.

In June, after winning the command’s NCO of the Year competition, Beckman said he thought being a senior small group leader at the NCO Academy gave him an advantage.

“You can always take something from everyone, either how to do something well, or how not to do it,” he said. “Learn from mission, and every senior, peer and subordinate,” he said.

“One thing that is unique about Sgt. 1st Class Beckman is that he is a legitimate senior NCO,” said Command Sgt. Major Hu Rhodes, commandant of the 7th Army NCO Academy. “He doesn’t have to prove anything to anyone.

“Most of the time, the NCO competitions are won by younger NCOs because their soldier skills are more current; they use them during their daily activities.”