SOTO CANO AIR BASE, Honduras –
Soldiers or Airmen who earn Trooper of the Quarter honor and represent the best enlisted members of Joint Task Force-Bravo. This professionalism exemplifies the traits of the ideal servicemember and what the U.S. military is about.
After a recent post-wide competition among six servicemembers, an Army specialist and a staff sergeant were selected as the JTF-Bravo Soldier and Non-Commissioned Officer of the Quarter for the second quarter in fiscal year 2017.
Army Spc. Aaron Vinson, Military Police Working Dog handler, represents the Army as the named junior Soldier of the 2nd Quarter for JTF-Bravo. Vinson enlisted in the Army in 2002 and is a native of Cookeville, Tenn.
Army Staff Sgt. Otis Bostic, Supply NCO, represents the Army as the named NCO of the 2nd Quarter for JTF-Bravo. Bostic is a native of Myrtle Beach, S.C.
There are three components to the board competition: Physical readiness, hands-on skill level tasks, and a board where the service members present themselves before five sergeant majors for a formal interview. Vinson and Bostic stood out in all three components and represented the traits of an ideal Soldier and those pursing the title of Trooper of the Quarter.
“We do these boards to recognize NCO's accomplishments and to have them study the Joint Publications to effectively accomplish the mission in a joint environment,” said JTF-Bravo Command Sgt. Maj. Shawn Carns, “We want to make it challenging. We want service members to be physically fit, complete skill level hands-on tasks and also be able to study academics.”
The process of being nominated begins in each individual’s work section. A Soldier or NCO is screened by their immediate supervisor. The supervisor then decides whether to recommend the soldier to appear before the board, where they compete against Soldiers and Airmen from other units within JTF-Bravo. Upon being selected, the nominee proceeds to the quarterly board, where service members keep themselves motivated to stay on top.
This self-motivation is a major contributor when competing in these boards. Also, having support from NCOs, knowing the job and maintaining bearing play key roles in their success.
With two quarters remaining this fiscal year, four more Soldiers have the opportunity to stand out within JTF-Bravo.