Soldiers measure themselves by the seven values of loyalty, duty, selfless service, honor, integrity and personal courage.

Each of these values focuses the actions of soldiers.

One of those values is integrity, a word that demands the doing of what is right in a legal and moral sense.

Every so often integrity becomes clearly visible in the form of an action or admission of something done or not done.

Last Friday morning on the 40-yard line in a dark and damp Cowan Stadium, integrity showed itself during the Regional Health Command-Pacific's (RHC-P) Best Medic competition.

SSgt. Cory Glasgow, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, and SSgt. Joe Salkowski, Ft. Wainwright, Alaska, had finished first and second, respectively, in the competition's last event, a 12-mile ruck march.

Their times were quick.

Glasgow and Salkowski wondered about their times on the course as well and had said as much.

A congregation of concerns arose.

"Let's see the map," ordered MSgt. Kaleb Twilligear, the soldier in charge of the Madigan Army Medical Center's Consolidated Education Division.

Wiry and intense, Twilligear tolerates no nonsense.

"Show me where you went," he said tersely.

Glasgow and Salkowski showed Twilligear on the map where they had moved.  Both soldiers said the directions they had received had been unclear.

No matter - it was clear they had cut the course, and they admitted as much.

"Your times won't count," Twilligear said quietly.

"I appreciate your integrity."

The two medics stood in stunned, sweaty silence.

As other soldiers finished the course, it became clear there has been some confusion about course direction.

Twilligear and others began to reevaluate how to conclude the competition fairly.

The decision was made to not count the ruck march toward the overall scores for the RHC-P competition.

Fair enough.

The RHC-P delivers world-class medical care for servicemembers, families and eligible beneficiaries in providing medical readiness and diplomacy in support of the Army's operations in the U.S. Pacific Command's area of responsibility.

To test their "medical readiness," the RHC-P and 62nd Medical Brigade combined minds and resources to create the 2016 Best Medic competition.

Fourteen medics from across the Pacific region and the 62nd Medical Brigade competed.

The medics had faced a three daylong gauntlet of challenges.

That challenge included a physical fitness test, a mass casualty lane, land navigation, obstacle course, M-4 and M-9 stress shoots, and a 12-mile ruck march in three hours or less.

The winners of the JBLM-hosted competition, one from the brigade and one from the command, would progress to the Army's CSM Jack L. Clark, Jr. Best Medic Competition to be held next month at Joint Base San Antonio, Fort Sam Houston and Camp Bullis, Texas.

After three days of competition to determine who would compete in the all-Army best medic competition, Glasgow and Salkowski had chosen integrity.

They saluted as Brig. Gen. Ronald Stephens, RHC-P's deputy commander, approached to talk with them.  They listened and nodded their heads; Stephens shook their hands.

"This is who we are; integrity is how we roll," Stephens said as he walked away.

Integrity had won.

Those going on to compete in the Army Best Medic competition are SSgt. David Nagle, Madigan Army Medical Center and 1Lt. Joshua Gurr, 47th Combat Support Hospital, 62nd Medical Brigade.