BAGHDAD, Iraq – Spc. Cody Kinney is a squared-away Soldier. The Lafayette, Colo. native is a forward observer with the 41st Fires Brigade who shoots expert, maxes his physical training test and can recite his general orders on cue.
Sgt. 1st Class Marissa Cisneros is also a squared-away Soldier, one of those sergeants who always end up getting assigned to everything, said the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division healthcare specialist. She’s so squared-away, the El Paso, Texas native joked that she “sleeps at attention.”
In a competition with eight other Soldiers from Multi-National Division-South, Kinney won Soldier of the Quarter and Cisneros won Noncommissioned Officer of the Quarter, July 25 at Freedom Rest in Baghdad. Soldier of the Quarter and NCO of the Quarter competitions are held by units to highlight the skills and dedication of their best Soldiers. Soldiers are evaluated on a combination of their fitness scores, shooting skills and their performance before a board, where they are quizzed on Army-related topics ranging from weapon specifications to legal policies. Going before the board is something like a military version of the game show American Idol, combining the stress of a college final with that of public speaking. Like American Idol, you get three judges (or more), but unlike American Idol, each one of the judges is of a high enough rank to promote or demote you and Paula Abdul is nowhere to be seen.
“Learning how to go before a board is almost a skill in and of itself,” said Spc. Brian Beach, a petroleum supply specialist from 4th BCT, 1st Armd. Div. and Fort Worth, Texas native. “I used to be intimidated by all those sergeants major, but now I feel pretty comfortable with them.” The trick, said Spc. Victoria Waltho, a healthcare specialist with the 172nd infantry brigade and native of Menomonee Falls, Wis., is to channel the anxiety. “A little bit of nervousness is good. It keeps you on your toes.”
While a little worry may boost a Soldier’s adrenaline, a lot of nervousness, on the other hand, is definitely not good. “When you’re sitting on the hot seat, you know most of the answers,” said Command Sgt. Maj. Doug Julin, MND-S senior enlisted advisor, who has been on both sides of the board throughout his career. “But when you’re under pressure . . . sometimes you choke.”
It may be cliché, but confidence is key. The board judges the Soldier on their demeanor, attitude and military bearing.
“You have to know how to sell yourself, how you present yourself,” said Command Sgt. Maj. Phillip Pandy, one of the judges and a Miami native. However, poise and posture can only take you so far. When the questions come rolling, you had better know what you’re talking about. That’s why, in addition to their normal duties, competing Soldiers fit study time into their busy schedules. For instance, when Cisneros was chosen to represent 4th BCT, 1st Armd. Div. in the competition, she had to find time for studying wherever she could, often carrying her study guide with her as she bounced among meetings at work.
Other Soldiers also tore through tomes of Soldier lore, like Spc. Charles Bryant, a motor transport operator with 2nd BCT, 4th Inf. Div. whose study guide was at least four inches thick. “It’s not just the stuff you learned in Basic,” said Bryant, a Brooklyn, N.Y. native. “You also learn a lot through your experiences. A Soldier just coming out of basic would not do well in this.”
“You have to have a passion to learn about the Army to do this,” Bryant added. Like Cisneros, Kinney found time to study in the spare moments between missions and he often squeezed in study time before sleeping.
His preparation paid off when he went before the board. When he stood at attention before the panel, he wasn’t intimidated. In fact, he was a little bit excited, he said. He had gone over these questions over and over again and it showed in a kind of habitual confidence.
Kinney said he just felt squared-away and the board agreed, selecting him and Cisneros as the winners and awarding them with passes to Qatar. However, Kinney’s unit is due to leave Iraq soon, so he gave up his pass to the runner-up, Waltho.
At an awards banquet later that night, Julin praised everyone who competed as a representative of their respective units. “I just want to let you guys know that just by being here you guys are winners,” he said.
“When you see the confidence and the abilities and the skills in these Soldiers it goes to show that the NCOs and the first-line leaders out there are giving their Soldiers the opportunity to excel on their own,” Julin concluded.
Other Soldiers competing for NCO of the Quarter included Staff Sgt. Jeffrey McWhorter, a Pawnee, Ill. native and intelligence specialist with the 172nd Inf. Bde.; Sgt. Larry Robinson, a Fort Carson, Colo. native and intelligence specialist with the 2nd BCT, 4th Inf. Div.; Sgt. John Ivanov, a Brooklyn, N.Y. native and wheeled -vehicle mechanic with the 41st FB; and Staff Sgt. Jason Zahurak, a Johnstown, Penn. native and petroleum supply specialist with 28th CAB.
Spc. David Broome, a Woodbury, N.Y. native and administrative specialist with the 28th Combat Aviation Brigade also competed for Soldier of the Quarter.
