1st Cavalry Division selects top medics to compete at Army level
(Master Sgt. Miriam Espinoza, 1st Cavalry Division Public Affairs Office)
The 1st Cavalry Division announced the Best Medic Competition’s winning team during an award ceremony Oct. 21 at Cooper Field at Fort Hood (Now designated Fort Cavazos), Texas.
Sgt. 1st Class Dain Neininger and Sgt. Chase Rheinlander, both medics from the 8th Engineer Battalion, 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, won after a 3-day grueling competition against three other 1CD teams also competing for the title.
“This event serves as a tool for Soldier to promote excellence and proficiency in all subject areas pertaining to tactical combat casualty care, prolonged care and patient evacuation,” said Sgt. Maj. Michelle Loftus, chief medical Non-commissioned officer, 1st Cavalry Division.
The Soldiers had little to no rest during the competition; the prolonged medical care on the second day of the competition, for example, went thru 10 p.m., just to get up the next day for their final event — the 12-mile ruck march, which began at 4 a.m.
“These Soldiers showed excellent medical skills, maturity in their Soldier tasks and they had the physical strength to endure and the mental capacity to conquer stressors,” said Sgt. Maj. Elvin Medina, command sergeant major, Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center.
The 3-day competition evaluated the competitors’ knowledge of water survival skills, weapons, and medical skills while putting them through various physical challenges. Each team trying their best to earn the title of Fiscal Year 2022 1st Cavalry Division Best Medic.
“Our Soldier faced rigorous testing that challenged their stamina, Soldier and medical skills, and medical abilities in every aspect,” Loftus added.
Neininger and Rheinlander will represent the 1st Cavalry Division at the CSM Jack L. Clark Jr. US Army Best Medic Competition, the Army level competition, in January 2022, here at Fort Hood (Now designated Fort Cavazos), Texas.
“It’s humbling and I feel honored to have compete with all the other competitors, who are outstanding, they all put a lot of time and effort in the competition, both physically and mentally,” said Neininger. “It was a challenging, but a great competition.”
