Palm Harbor Native Competes in Prestigious Army Competition

Palm Harbor native Spc. Ashlie Diggs was among the soldiers selected to compete in the Army's recent prestigious AR-MEDCOM Best Warrior competition at Camp Blanding, FL.

Diggs, 22, graduated from Countryside High School in 2008 and is a paralegal specialist for headquarters and headquarters company, Army Reserve Medical Command, in Pinellas Park.

“I am always trying to better myself as a soldier,” said Diggs, who is working towards a degree in business. “I will go to any length to be a stronger soldier physically and mentally.”

Diggs is no stranger to the military, “All the men in my family have served at least 3 years or more,” she said, with almost four years of service herself. “I am the first female in my family to join the Army.” 

The Best Warrior Competition was developed by retired Sergeant Major of the Army Jack Tilley in 2002 as a test of a soldier’s physical endurance, military knowledge, current events, and mental perseverance. The competition is an opportunity for Warrior’s to highlight their military skills in a competitive environment and measures how well they perform under stress. 

The grueling five-day event competition taxes each soldier mentally and physically. It includes a timed written exam, physical fitness test, and a number of mentally and physically challenging exercises including a 10 kilometer road march, M4 rifle qualification, urban warfare orienteering, an Army Combatives Tournament –and a Mystery Event. 

Diggs began the competition at unit level, rising to command level and continuing on to higher command intended to select the noncommissioned officer and junior enlisted Soldier of the Year for AR-MEDCOM. The winner advances to train and prepare through U. S. Army Reserve Command, and upon winning will go on to represent the Army Reserve Command to the Army wide ‘Best Warrior’ Competition to be held later in the year. 

The Army Reserve Medical Command has been represented at the top Army event in 2009 by Staff Sgt. Aaron Butler, a medical logistics noncommissioned officer from Three Forks, Mont., at the Department of the Army level competition.

Thanks to the U.S. Army for sharing this information about Ashlie!

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