During the month of December 2025, select U.S. Army Soldiers from the 597th Transportation Brigade, U.S. Army Transportation Command (ARTRANS), took time off from their ongoing sustainment mission, where they routinely provide surface deployment expertise at our strategic ports, in order to compete in the challenging Quarterly Soldier and Noncommissioned Officer (NCO) Boards at the 597th Transportation Brigade “Rapid Support” headquarters at Fort Eustis, Va.

Our Rapid Support senior NCOs, including Brigade Command Sgt. Major Nancy Sainz; Sgt. 1st Class Thomas Fuller, senior human resources sergeant; and Sgt.1st Class Bruce Fairley, transportation specialist; along with Sgt. Major Randall Gibson, 842nd Transportation Battalion, 597th Transportation Brigade, battalion sergeant major; conducted the boards meticulously, ensuring the standard was set for future competitions- and for our future leaders.

Competing Soldiers and NCOs, selected from among their peers at home, demonstrated their expertise in core competencies, such as leadership, training, and readiness; showcased broadening experiences, like unique assignments and college education; and proved their ability to embody the Army Values (Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless Service, Honor, Integrity, and Personal Courage)– and the NCO and Soldier Creeds, as mentors and role models– pushing themselves and others to continuously train, educate, and improve as dedicated leaders.

The board rigorously tested, questioned and inspected competitors before awarding the "best of the best" Soldier of the Quarter award to Spc. Erroldo Thompson, a U.S. Army Reserve Soldier from the 195th ETO in Tampa, Florida, currently assigned to the 842nd Trans. Bn., “Warhorse,” in Beaumont, Texas.

Brigade Commander Col. Edward K. Woo presented the Soldier of the Quarter award to Thompson in the prestigious Regimental Room of the U.S. Army Transportation Museum at Fort Eustis, Virginia, citing the importance of quarterly boards as tools to help challenge and develop top-tier Soldiers and leaders and as motivation for others, as they enhance esprit de corps and camaraderie by promoting friendly competition and showing excellence and hard work is rewarded.

Thompson, who is originally from St. Catherine, Jamaica, earned his citizenship through joining the Army and has demonstrated his dedication to truly becoming a “citizen Soldier.”

Not only did Thompson show his fitness skills during the AFT, lifting over 300 pounds and burning up the turf on the sprint-drag-carry event according to witnesses, but he is also academic-minded and dedicated to lifelong education; Thompson is going to school to be a radiology technician- when he isn't busy supporting back-to-back port operations with our 842nd “Warhorse” Bn. as they project the force in support of large scale combat operations across the globe.

Thompson displayed the bearing, trustworthiness and commitment to ongoing development our board of dedicated senior NCOs demanded… we can’t wait to see what he–and all our future leaders will do!

Woo also presented Sgt. Major Randall Gibson with the Soldier of the Quarter streamer to add to his Warhorse battalion guidon; Gibson, who says he places great value on leadership development and training the Force, took time out of an extremely busy schedule at the ports to make sure his Soldiers could be in Virginia to compete, and personally paced competitors on the track during the fitness portion of the competition.

Congratulations to all our Rapid Support Quarterly Soldier and NCO Board competitors... Are YOU up to the challenge in 2026?!