NANGARHAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan (June 28, 2008) –  Two Sky Soldiers from the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team were announced the winners of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) Soldier and Non-commissioned Officer of the Quarter competition conducted on Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan.

Sgt. Jeremy De Jesus, from Waterbury, Conn., and Spc. Amy Penn, from Cave City, Ark., both members of Charlie Company, 173rd Special Troops Battalion, swept the competition away, said Sgt. Maj. Lyle Womack, 173rd ABCT operations sergeants major.

Six Soldiers and five NCOs participated in the competition, according to De Jesus.

The eleven Soldiers were selected by their chain of command as being the best Soldiers to represent their unit in the competition.

“It was a little intimidating,” said Penn. “We were the only Soldiers not wearing a 101st patch.”

The Soldiers were tested on physical fitness, weapons, warrior tasks, written tests and appeared before a board of senior NCOs.

“We had to take apart an M-9 Pistol, M-4 Carbine and M-240B Machine Gun in two minutes,” said Penn. “Then we had to put them back together.”

Penn and De Jesus spent four months preparing for the competition. They studied alone, together and even came up with their own ways of retaining information.

“I would tape note cards around the office so every where I looked a question and answer would be waiting for me,” explained Penn.
 
Penn and De Jesus were tested once a week by Charlie Company leadership during practice boards to help them retain information and get used to being asked questions by senior leadership.

“Our chain of command helped us out a lot,” said De Jesus.

De Jesus and Penn are nearing the end of their 15-month deployment to Afghanistan. Once the deployment is over, De Jesus wants to become a drill sergeant while Penn plans on going to school to become a teacher.