Outside the Wire will feature profiles (in alphabetical order) of the six Drill Sergeant of the Year contenders this week. The competitors, which include four active-duty soldiers and two reservists, will be evaluated as they tackle more than 50 physically and emotionally challenging events. The winners will be announced Friday.
Staff Sgt. Andrew Palmer is one of two reservists in this year’s competition. The Milwaukee native joined the Army in 1997.
“It’s an honor to be here to represent my division as Drill Segeant of the Year,” he said. “I look forward to the competition because it is sure to drive us to be our best.”
The infantryman said leading troops in physical training will prove most challenging because the reserve units don’t do that every day as do their active-duty counterparts. He is counting on his knowledge of warrior tasks to close that gap.
A veteran of Iraq and relief efforts in Haiti, Palmer currently serves with Charlie Company, 3rd Battalion, 518th Regiment at Hickory, N.C. He also has served at Fort Bragg, N.C.
