Cepeda, Leon are the best of BRO (Big Red One)

 By MOLLIE MILLER
1st Infantry Division Public Affairs

History was made at Fort Riley last week as two soldiers assigned not only to the same battalion but also to the same company were named the best of the Big Red One during a ceremony Oct. 21.

Sgt. Kelvin Cepeda and Spc. Luisa Leon, both members of headquarters and headquarters company, 3rd Attack Helicopter Battalion, 1st Aviation Regiment, 1st Combat Aviation Brigade, took home Noncommissioned Officer of the Quarter and Soldier of the Quarter honors for the first quarter of fiscal year 2012.

“Nine young men and women came in and fought all week for these titles,” said Command Sgt. Maj. Jim Thomson, 1st Infantry Division acting senior noncommissioned officer. “Each of these warriors put forth a fantastic effort and it was a really great competition.”

The grueling four-day competition was held Oct. 18-21 on the grounds of Fort Riley. The schedule featured many events designed to test the competitors’ soldier skills and focused on areas including land navigation, physical fitness, warrior tasks, marksmanship, and general Army knowledge.

“It was a hard competition but no one gave up, everyone kept pushing forward,” Leon said. “I personally just tried as hard as I could and I didn’t stop. I ran when I needed to run, I shot my best, I just went for it.”

Cepeda, a Petroleum Supply Specialist, and Leon, an Aviation Operations Specialist, said they began preparing for the competition about two months ago.

“We worked together preparing for the competition almost every day,” Leon said. “We tested each other and did a lot of studying.”

Cepeda said that he and Leon spent a lot of time during their lunch hours and after work preparing for the competition, setting up mock boards and doing as many activities as possible to make sure they were ready for whatever challenges the division-level event might throw at them.

The two Nightmare Battalion soldiers believe this extensive preparation as well as the great support of their entire unit helped carry them to success in the quarterly competition.

“There is no mission too difficult and I truly believe that,” Cepeda said. “I just believe in doing everything to the best of my ability and, in the end, it always pays off.”

Following a short break to celebrate their win, Cepeda and Leon said they plan to get back into their training schedule, working hard to get ready for the division’s Soldier and NCO of the Year competition, scheduled to take place next spring.

“We have about nine months to prepare for the next round so we are going to start hitting it hard,” Cepeda said. “Hopefully we can do this again.”

Sgt. Cepeda currently serves in the Army and is stationed in Fort Riley, Kansas. He is the son of Luis M. Cepeda (Apong) and Guadalupe M. Cepeda. He is married to Lei Ogumoro-Uludong and has an 11-year-old son named Kelvin D. Cepeda, Jr.