259th E-MIB Soldier wins MIRC Soldier of the Year Competition

JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wa. - Spc. Kyle Cook assigned to the 321st Military Intelligence Battalion emerged as the winner of the Military Intelligence Readiness Command's (MIRC) Soldier of the Year Competition. The competition took place over seven days on Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington.

Cook competed against four other junior enlisted soldiers from different states across the MIRC. Those soldiers were winners of their brigade's Best Warrior Competition. Operation Sasquatch Warrior, also known as the Soldier of the Year (SOY) Competition, was comprised of multiple physical and mental challenges.

MIRC cadre evaluated soldiers based on basic soldier skills, medical lane performance, a 12-mile ruck, combat swim test, written exam, an oral board, day and night land navigation, and weapons qualification. Competitors also took the Army Combat Fitness Test and scaled both an obstacle course and confidence course for score.

U.S. Army Reserve Sgt. Maj. Jill Johnson is the MIRC G-3 Operations Sergeant Major. She, along with the competition cadre, supported the event.

"I've just been blown away by each and every one of [the competitor's] persistence," Johnson said. "They've all been challenged in different ways, and we never saw them give up at all."

Cook said that prior to the competition he practiced land navigation and rucking on his personal time. He shares what kept him going during the most difficult parts of the competition.

"I'm just a pretty competitive person, so I didn't think of much," said Cook. "I was just thinking about winning and going as hard as I could in whatever it was."

While pleased with his victory, Cook says he is already thinking about the next level of the Soldier of the Year competition.

"I'm super excited to have won the competition," Cook said. "I'm really excited to go to the next level and compete again."

The 321st MI BN is a battalion under the 259th Expeditionary Military Intelligence Brigade. Although the brigade is based out of Washington state, the 321st MI BN where Cook is assigned, is in Florida. Cook plans to go on to compete at the U.S. Army Reserve Command event.

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