Kalispell soldier vies for 'Best Warrior' title

FORT McCOY, Wis. – The past three years have been busy for Army Reserve Staff Sgt. Aaron Butler.

From Montana cattle rancher, to 2009 Army Reserve Best Warrior Non-commissioned Officer of the Year, to college student, to serving as a sponsor for a competitor this year, Butler sums up his nearly eight years of service in the Army Reserve with a simple mantra.

“I never forget that better men have done more and asked for less,” Butler said.

“Any time that I would ever think about getting out and doing something else with my life, I just remind myself that there have been people before me that have stayed in, done a lot more, asked for a whole lot less, and done a better job at it. That motivates me to continue to serve,” Butler said.

A medical logistics specialist and platoon sergeant with the 4225th U.S. Army Hospital at Fort Harrison, Butler has returned to Fort McCoy this year to sponsor Cpl. Adam Lucas of Kalispell, the Non-commissioned Officer of the Year representing U.S. Army Reserve Medical Command.

Lucas, 24, said having that experience to draw from has helped him prepare for the competition.

“He was really able to prepare me for a lot of things that I may or may not see,” Lucas said about Butler’s mentoring. “I think I’m far better prepared and a better soldier because of it.”

Lucas said the training was difficult and challenging and even painful — so much so he developed a case of trench foot.

“The doctor had to remove my big toe nail,” Lucas said. “So it was good training; it toughened up the feet. I have what we call ‘man feet’ now.”

Despite the pain and suffering Lucas may have endured training for the event, he said having Butler as his sponsor meant a great deal to him.

“It’s kind of an inspiration to have somebody ahead of you who has been through it and done it then showing you,” Lucas said. “They’re not just speaking from left field.”

Butler said winning the Non-commissioned Officer of the Year title in 2009 opened up training opportunities he otherwise might not have had, including competing in the 2009 Department of the Army Best Warrior competition and graduating from Pathfinder School.

Butler admits attending Pathfinder School, as a medical logistician, was a little unusual.

“I had a lot of Rangers, Green Berets and a lot of officers in my Pathfinder class,” he said. “I was kind of the odd man out.”

Butler said he received many questions on how he was able to acquire a school slot. “All I could say was, ‘Well, I know some people,’” he said with a laugh.

For Butler, passing on the training lessons he has acquired over the past three years to other soldiers is his way of “paying it forward.”

Part of that includes helping Lucas prepare for this year’s competition. He developed a training schedule based on past competition experiences to include combatives, urban operations, weapons qualification, helicopter operations and even mock board appearances.

He said developing a training regimen for a competition is much different than actually preparing to compete.

“I took my experience and what I really benefited from or what I felt I could have benefited from and then made sure that we made that available,” he said.