Medics from 2ID aviation battalion take top spot at 2024 Eighth Army Best Medic Competition

Story by Spc. Kelsey Kollar

8th Army

Staff. Sgt. Daniel Tursi and Staff Sgt. Victor Aguilar are the best of the best. The medics from C Co. 3-2 General Support Aviation Battalion, 2nd Combat Aviation Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, ROK-U.S. Combined Division, took the stage as victors at the close of the 2024 Eighth Army’s Best Medical Competition on Camp Humphreys, South Korea, Nov. 15, 2024.

The Best Medic Competition is a 72-hour, two-Soldier team competition that challenges medical personnel in a simulated, but realistic operational environment. The competition challenges current Expert Field Medical Badge and Combat Medic Badge recipients under demanding and continuous field conditions.

After over a hundred applicants, five teams of two participated in this year’s competition.

“Everything we do at the Best Medic Competition is to try to separate the average Soldier from the best we have,” said Maj. Jason Christman, the officer in charge of the event. “We already have excellent Soldiers and medics so we have to take every event and make it two or three times harder before you start to see the best medics show up.”

The competition tests Soldiers’ medical skills and physical capabilities by pushing them to their limits — tasks that prepare medics for combat deployments and other demanding jobs in their field of work.

“It’s a good way to test yourself,” said Aguilar, after one of the last and toughest events. “Anything you learn here you can pass it onto your Soldiers.”

Some of the events included prolonged field care, casualty evacuation litter carry, a ruck march, M17 pistol and M4 carbine stress shoots, land navigation, and a written test.

Evaluators assess competitors on their abilities for agile thinking, utilization of mission command, and knowledge of tactical combat casualty care.

The competition forces the U.S. Army medics to challenge their skills. It is essential they are prepared in all types of environments so they may be ready when called upon during times of crisis.

The top team represents Eighth Army in the 2025 Command Sgt. Maj. Jack L. Clark Jr. Army Best Medic Competition at Fort Bliss, Texas in February 2025.