Spc. Mary Ramirez moaned loudly when she saw her severed right hand.

"What happened to me!" she screamed.  "Where is my hand?  Why is it over there?"

Lying in a pool of blood, Ramirez's hand rested about four inches from the end of the arm it had once been attached to.

"I want my hand back!" she screamed before beginning to slip in and out of shock.

Assigned to Bravo Company, 502nd Military Intelligence Battalion, Ramirez simulated the role of a casualty as Spc. Steven Capen began to place a tourniquet on her arm and tighten it off.

In the middle of a 6.6-mile course that required competitors to run from one station to another, Capen remained composed.

"You're going to be alright," the Soldier, assigned to the 62nd Medical Brigade, reassured his patient.

"Everything will work out. I can help you."

For Capen, the decisions he made in evaluating and performing first aid on this casualty was not simulated.

The reality of the situation is that Capen wants to be the best of the best.

Last week, I Corps conducted the four-day 2011 Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM) Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO) and Soldier of the Year Competition.

Ten NCOs (E-5 and above) and ten Soldiers (E-4 and below) from 13 units on JBLM competed to be the best.

The warriors faced a number of challenges ranging from maintaining an M4-series rifle and moving under direct fire to searching vehicles under tactical situations to protection from nuclear, biological and chemical (NBC) injury.

In total, 23 different Army Warrior Tasks awaited the competitors.

"It's a challenging competition, and so far the Soldiers have been doing well," Staff Sgt. Bobbie McAdoo, an evaluator, noted.

The NCO and the Soldier with the most points win.

Those two warriors will represent I Corps and JBLM during competition at the U.S. Army Forces Command (FORSCOM) later this summer.

Hopefully emerging from that competition as the winners, they would then compete in the All-Army competition.

On day three of I Corps' competition, however, Capen's concerns were much more immediate as he worked to aid his casualty.

"She's got good breathing because she's yelling so much," he told Staff Sgt. Damian Hoffman, another evaluator.  "I'm now going to treat her for shock."

As he worked, Capen continued to talk to his patient and Hoffman.  A recent recipient of an Expert Field Medical Badge (EFMB), Capen's training served him well.

Hoffman noted everything, briefed Capen on his performance and wished him good luck.

Pulling his assault pack back on, Capen began to trot down the road to the next station.

"These Soldiers are doing relatively well," Staff Sgt. John Williamson, I Corps, said.

"The competition has been good; JBLM has the best Soldiers."

The Results:

Sgt. Haidang Le, 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team took the top NCO of the Year prize.  Spc. Anthony Wooley, 595th Military Police Company, 42nd Military Police Brigade garnered the top Soldier of the Year award.