SPC William Brandon Maneuvers Through an Obstacle at the U.S. Army Best Medic Competition

U.S. Army SPC William Brandon with the 101st Airborne Division maneuvers through an obstacle during the obstacle course event.. Brandon is competing to be the Army's best medic in the 2021 Command Sgt. Maj. Jack L. Clark, Jr. U.S. Army Best Medic Competition (AMBC). To qualify Soldiers must have already earned the Combat Medical Badge or the Expert Field Medical Badge. The AMBC is taking place from Jan. 25-28 at Fort Gordon, Ga, Jan. 25, 2021. Soldiers are competing in teams of two. The 72- hour event is physically and intellectually challenging. The Soldiers must operate in a demanding, continuous, and realistic operational environment. Competitors must excel in events such as the Army Combat Fitness Test, rifle marksmanship, simulated combat casualty care, a 28-station obstacle course, night land navigation, water survival (which includes jumping off of a diving board into 12-feet of water), and more—including mystery events. This year’s competition takes place amid the corona virus global pandemic. The Soldiers reported early to participate in a restriction of movement process. The competition is taking place inside of a “COVID-bubble”. The bubble requires COVID testing and strict adherence to avoiding under 20 feet of contact with anyone else outside of the bubble. Even those outside of the bubble must be tested for the virus. This year’s event is hosted by the Army’s Regional Health Command-Atlantic (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Andrew Garcia).