Falcon resident Eugene “Chip” Patton recently won the fifth Army Southwest Soldier of the Year competition – an honor that didn’t come easily.Patton was selected to compete for his battery and then he won for his battalion. He then went on to win the state and regional levels. He said the pressure to win came from the start, when he was asked to compete. “Basically they told me, “we’re having a soldier of the year board tomorrow, and do you want to do it?” Patton said. “That night, I went home and tried to memorize as much as I could.”Up until this last award, the competition has consisted solely of standing before a board of superior officers and being drilled with questions about the Army. However, for the regional competition, Patton said there were a variety of tests in different areas.It took him several weeks of mental and physical preparation to complete each level of competition.The competition was point-based and half the points came from standing before the board and correctly answering 50 questions, he said. The remaining points were acquired through a physical test that consisted of sit-ups, push-ups and running a two-mile in record time.Patton said he and his fellow competitors also were tested on common hands-on tasks, such as demonstrating how to dress an open-arm injury; land navigation using only a compass and a map; a written test; and a rifle and marksmanship test. He bought an AR-15 just for the latter test and practiced at his home.Patton’s wife, Dawn, explained how dedicated her husband was with the detailed material, as well as the physical training. “He started running two to five miles everyday and then two hours a night studying,” she said. Patton received a bit of help from his wife, who quizzed him regularly. She said the questions were like, “How big is this weapon?” and the answer is 14.3 inches. Then you go to the next question and they would want to know how big this weapon was, how much it weighed [with and without the ammunition in it].”For the regional competition, Patton went to San Luis Obispo, Calif., where he received his most recent award. He beat out five other soldiers who were also winners at the state level within the southwest region. The southwest region included Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Nevada and California. “[The state competitor from] Utah was the hardest competitor,” he said. “It was he or I. Down to the wire.”Patton said his hard work paid off and the oral board was his “money maker.” “We were dead tied up until the board,” he continued. “I mean, we were neck and neck. He did real well on the board, but I did just a little bit better.” Patton said the oral board is his favorite part, and liked the tough competition because it was a good way to determine his weak points.If Patton is successful at the fifth Army level, he will go to Texas in July to compete against the regional finalists, which is comprised of 21 states located west of the Mississippi River. After that competition, he hopes to move on to the final phase of the competition, which takes place in Washington D.C. So far, Patton has been presented with the Soldier of the Year ribbon, the Army Achievement Medal for winning the battalion and brigades competitions and the Army Commendation Medal for winning the 5th Army Southwest division. He is uncertain what lies ahead if he wins at the highest level; there is the possibility of meeting the President of the United States. “I heard that if I win 5th Army, I do,” Patton said. “And then there might be gift certificates to AAFES (Army and Air Force Exchange Service).”Patton, who has been in the Colorado National Guard for two years, is accustomed to people teasing him about his last name, asking him if he is related to the famous World War II General George Patton. “I get asked quite often if I’m direct relations,” he joked.When asked if he aspires to becoming a general someday, he said he hopes to become an officer one day. Currently, Patton is enlisted as a specialist in the B Battery 2nd Battalion/157th Field Artillery.
