Maintenance usually happens down in the motor pool or out on the side of the road where there’s not a lot of leadership or spotlight. So this gives us an opportunity to put our guys on the front row and shine a light on them.Chief Warrant Officer 4 Rocky Anderson, president of the Mechanic of the Year board

OKLAHOMA CITY – Oklahoma Army National Guardsmen gathered to test their mechanical skills at the third annual Mechanic of the Year competition held at the Combined Support Maintenance Shop in Norman, Oklahoma, Feb. 7, 2024.

The individual winner for this year’s competition was Sgt. Daniel Jones, who represented the Unit Training Equipment Site out of Camp Gruber Training Center. The winning team, representing the Maneuver Area Training Equipment Site out of Ft. Sill, consisted of Staff Sgt. Brandon Burns, Sgt. Kyle Ehrenberg, Sgt. Jasser Reyes and Spc. Patrick Woody. The five winners will compete at the national level in Utah later this year.

“The team that we pick here represents Oklahoma in the national competition and so far, we’ve fared very well,” said Chief Warrant Officer 4 Rocky Anderson, president of the Mechanic of the Year board. “We’ve won the last two years.”

Ten teams made up of four mechanics each represented maintenance shops from around the state, putting their professional skills to the test and connecting with fellow competitors.

“We’re really trying to drive that friendly competition,” Anderson said.

The competition consisted of ten stations that challenged the teams on several aspects of the mechanical maintenance profession, including measuring, inspection, electrical circuits, vehicle recovery, drilling and a written test. The team and individual who earned the most points throughout the competition was declared the winner.

The competition not only fosters communication and esprit de corps among competitors, but allows leaders to recognize the mechanics for their skills and contributions.

“Maintenance usually happens down in the motor pool or out on the side of the road where there’s not a lot of leadership or spotlight,” Anderson said. “So this gives us an opportunity to put our guys on the front row and shine a light on them.”

Not only has Oklahoma performed well at the national competitions, but the state-level competition has grown dramatically over the last several years. This year saw almost triple the amount of teams as the first year, as well as the addition of a traditional guardsmen competition.

“Units are going to be able to send a four-man team and they’ll take the same written test,” Anderson said. “So you’ll have a full-time Field Maintenance Shop that has bragging rights for the state and a unit that has bragging rights for the state.”

Spc. Shawnda Preast, Spc. Demitri Southerland, Sgt. Hope York and Sgt. Samuel Smith, all members of the 345th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 90th Troop Command, took first place overall team in the traditional guardsmen competition held on Feb. 10.

2024 Mechanic of the Year Competition Results:

Mechanic of the Year
Sgt. Daniel Jones - Unit Training Equipment Site

First Place Team - Full-Time
Maneuver Area Training Equipment Site
Staff Sgt. Brandon Burns
Sgt. Kyle Ehrenberg
Sgt. Jasser Reyes
Spc. Patrick Woody.



First Place Team - Traditional Guardsmen
345th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion
Sgt. Hope York
Spc. Shawnda Preast
Spc. Demitri Southerland
Sgt. Samuel Smith


Second Place Team - Traditional Guardsmen
Hotel Company, 700th Brigade Support Battalion
Staff Sgt. Alexander Cowns
Sgt. Corbin Baumfalk
Pfc. Chase Johnson
Spc. Carrigan Mills

Third Place Team - Traditional Guardsmen
Staff Sgt. Shawn Pierce, 271st Brigade Support Battalion
Fox Company, 700th Brigade Support Battalion
Sgt. Frank Sands
Pfc. Christian Brown
Spc. Michael Graves