Florida Army National Guard selects Soldier, NCO of the Year

FLNG's NCO and Soldier of the Year! Spc. Brian Crawley of the 53rd Brigade Combat Team (center) and Staff Sgt. Daniel Taylor from Joint Force Headquarters (second from left) are honored Saturday evening as the Soldier and the NCO of the Year by Florida National Guard leaders. Pictured with the Soldiers are: Adjutant General of Florida Maj. Gen. Emmett Titshaw Jr. (left), Assistant Adjutant General for Army Maj. Gen. James Tyre (second from right) and State Command Sgt. Maj. Robert Hosford. Photo by Debra Cox

STARKE, Fla. (April 4, 2012) – Spc. Brian Crawley of the 53rd Brigade Combat Team and Staff Sgt. Daniel Taylor from Joint Force Headquarters were selected as the Florida Army National Guard’s Soldier and NCO of the Year, during a banquet at Camp Blanding Joint Training Center, March 31.

Crawley and Taylor were honored during the banquet by Florida National Guard leaders including Adjutant General of Florida Maj. Gen. Emmett Titshaw Jr., Assistant Adjutant General for Army Maj. Gen. James Tyre, and State Command Sgt. Maj. Robert Hosford.

Crawley, a member of D Company, 2nd Battalion, 124th Infantry Regiment, is an Infantry Soldier with five years of military service. He is currently enrolled at Seminole State College and is pursuing a degree in General Education.

Taylor is serving in the Recruiting and Retention Battalion and has ten years of military service. He is currently attending Miami Dade College in Miami, working on degree in Computer Science.

Other nominees for the Soldier of Year were: Spc. Kyle Beal of Joint Force Headquarters; Spc. Ryan Rhoden of Camp Blanding Joint Training Center; Spc. Bryan Richardson of the 50th Regional Support Group; Spc. Wesley Sharon of the 83rd Troop Command; and Spc. Khadija Benikhalef of the 164th Air Defense Artillery.

Other nominees for the NCO of the Year were: Sgt. Gregory Fiorentino of Camp Blanding Joint Training Center; Sgt. 1st Class Richard Caton of the 50th Regional Support Group; Sgt. Randolph Parham of the 53rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team; Sgt. Kristi Brizuela of the 83rd Troop Command; and Sgt. Maria Rivas of the 164th Air Defense Artillery.

###