Flint locks in win at Region II Best Warrior Competition

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Photography by Maj. Rick Breitenfeldt, Maryland National Guard Public Affairs Office

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1500043978506{margin: 0px !important;border-width: 0px !important;padding: 0px !important;background-color: #ededed !important;}”]Article by Cpl. Elizabeth Scott, Maryland National Guard Public Affairs Office[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]

A Maryland National Guard soldier tested his drive and skills through snow and the bitter cold during the Maryland Best Warrior Competition. Though warmer weather, around 50 degrees Fahrenheit, at Fort Indiantown Gap, Pa., this Maryland soldier proved himself not only against the competition from Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Virginia, and the District of Columbia, but against the elements again.

Mud covered uniforms and a damp obstacles course were no match for Spc. Philip Flint from B Co., 1st Bn., 175th Inf. Regt. and neither where the competitors from the other states. Flint emerged the winner of the Region II Best Warrior Competition held May 11-14, 2017.

The obstacle course was his favorite event from the regional competition. He always found that type of thing fun said Flint during a phone conversation while he studied for finals.

Flint, an Environmental Sciences and Technology major at the University of Maryland, College Park, had to prepare for the competition on top of his normal course work and prepare for his spring semester finals.

Flint said, he spent about an hour and a half each night studying from the Army Study Guide. He also endured ruck marches on Saturday mornings to help him prepare physically.

“I didn’t get much free time,” added Flint. “I was either studying for school, preparing for the competition, or just normal [National] guard duty.”

One of the reasons service in the National Guard appealed to him was because he could be in the military and go to school at the same time. Ever since he was a little kid, military service was something he always wanted to do. Many of his family members, including his father, are and have also served in our nation’s armed forces.

The competition had 12 evaluated events, which included the obstacle course, land navigation, weapons qualifications, six-mile ruck march, Army Physical Fitness Test, an appearance board, among other tasks.

The Maryland Best Warrior Competition had increased the difficulty and added events to the its competition over previous years to help better prepare the Maryland National Guard representatives for the regional and national competition.

They were pretty comparable, said Flint. He also mentioned that the regional competition was at a faster pace in the order of events and the additional events it made it more challenging.

Flint was originally part of C Co., 1st Squadron, 158th Cavalry Regiment (Long Range Surveillance) until that unit was inactivated in 2015. He and a lot of other soldiers from the LRS went to B Co, 1-175th Inf. Regt., said Flint.

“I’ve always had a good atmosphere of people who strive to be the best, and want to set the standard for everyone else,” added Flint.

He was competing against soldiers from the other mid-Atlantic states and D.C. He got to learn about what they had to go through, balancing their National Guard life and their civilian life. Flint also mentioned that everyone was giving their best effort and his fellow competitors had also come prepared for the competition.

“I felt pretty proud,” said Flint about winning the Region II competition. “I’ve been really busy with school and it was difficult to balance my guard and civilian life. Winning just showed that I could do it. I had good mentors that trained me well enough where I could perform and win regionals for the Maryland National Guard.”

Flint will be representing the Maryland National Guard and Region II in the national level competition at Camp Ripley, near Little Falls in Minnesota, July 17-20, 2017. This competition will feature the best soldiers and noncommissioned officers of the Army National Guard from the seven regions across the United States. This is the first time a Maryland National Guard soldier has won Region II.

The winner of the national-level Army National Guard Best Warrior Competition will represent the National Guard at the Army’s Best Warrior Competition.

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