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FORT HUACHUCA, Ariz - Being a drill sergeant in the U.S. Army and
its Reserve Component is one of the most thrilling experience a
Soldier can have. The guidance and insight you give to civilians to
become Soldiers is a very rewarding feeling. Being a drill sergeant
encompasses some of the best Soldiers the Army has to offer, so it
would only be fitting for the best to compete to show that they are.
Army Reserve drill sergeant, Sgt. 1st Class Christina Martinelli,
A Company, 1/321st Infantry Regiment, 98th Training Division(IET),
is one of those Soldiers competing for the title of Noncommissioned
Officer of the Year during the 108th Training Command (IET) 2015
Best Warrior Competition.
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March 27, 2015 - U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Christina Martinelli takes a moment to look up as she low crawls on the confidence course during the 2015 Best Warrior and Drill Sergeant of the Year competition. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Deidra Jackson)
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Martinelli lives in Columbia South Carolina with her
boyfriend and currently works at the 81st Regional Support
Command in the junior enlisted promotion section.
Originally from Massachusetts, Martinelli's ultimate goal is
to be a command sergeant major in the Army. So competing in
this competition is more than she could ever dream, but the
thought of winning the competition makes that goal even more
realistic.
“This would be a great experience because
Sergeant Major hold boards and I have never participated in
one, so it gives me a taste of what the Soldier side is and
how I would prep as a Sgt. Major,” Martinelli said.
The military has given Martinelli many goals that civilian
life just couldn't give her and for these reason she loves
every aspect of it.
Martinelli worked at the
National Park Service in Massachusetts until August 2014.
She says she loved working there but hated the job. Working
for the Army as well as being in the Army is more than this
young Soldier could have hoped for.
Going active
duty was once a dream for Martinelli but since moving to
South Carolina and working at the 81st, staying in the Army
Reserve seems to make more sense, it's the best of both
worlds.
“I love being a Reserve Soldier, I love the
opportunities, love to travel, I love the school and meeting
new people and I love that the Army can't move me anywhere.”
Doing the competition has been the best experience
for Martinelli, especially because as a Reserve Soldier
there is not enough time in a weekend to be able to focus on
basic Soldier skills. This is a great opportunity to get
back to the field, something that Martinelli loves.
“This is an awesome experience for anyone. Anyone can do it
if you want it bad enough. The basic military skills you
seem to lose after basic training, this experience helps
bring it back, skills like land navigation,” Martinelli
said.
Martinelli has high hopes for the future, she
may not be a participant in the competition next year, but
she would love to come back as a sponsor. She wants to
motivate another Soldier to do what she has done, only
better.
“It would be cool to be a sponsor and a
mentor, and help somebody through this. I believe being a
sponsor would be where I would be the most effective,” she
added.
When she is not working Martinelli loves
cooking and participating in Spartan competitions.
Mentoring and motivation is a blueprint of a good
noncommissioned officer and for Martinelli the foundation
for being a drill sergeant. It is not about being a
noncommissioned officer, it's about being a great
noncommissioned officer.
By U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Deidra Jackson
108th Training Command
(IET) Public Affairs
Provided
through DVIDS
Copyright 2015
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