FORT PICKETT, Va. –
Fourteen Virginia Army National Guard Soldiers assigned to the Lynchburg-based 1st Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment, 116th Mobile Brigade Combat Team spent the week ending Nov. 16, 2025, pushing their limits during a demanding Scout Selection Board designed to identify the battalion’s next generation of reconnaissance leaders.
Staff Sgt. Chandler M. Potts, platoon sergeant for Delta Company’s Scout Platoon, oversaw the multi-day assessment while also joining his Soldiers for several of the physical challenges. The battalion aims to fill eight vacancies within its newly structured, three-squad scout platoon.
“We’re selecting the most capable Soldiers we can get,” Potts said. “This assessment lets us identify highly motivated candidates who have the potential to thrive in the scout mission.”
Held concurrently with the battalion’s Best Warrior Competition, the Scout Selection Board tested each Soldier’s endurance, adaptability and technical proficiency.
Candidates began with the air assault obstacle course followed by a three-quarter-mile run before rotating through six skill lanes modeled after a condensed Expert Infantryman Badge assessment. Tasks included weapons fundamentals, tactical combat casualty care, communications, route planning and other essential soldiering skills.
“All of this feeds into an order of merit list,” Potts said. “It gives us a complete picture of each candidate physically, mentally and technically.”
Leadership lanes encouraged candidates to think under pressure and operate as a team. At dawn Thursday, participants stepped off on an unknown-distance ruck march that ultimately covered 7.4 miles, each carrying a 45-pound pack while striving to maintain an infantry-standard pace.
“You learn from each other out here. Guys who understand certain things better help the rest of us, and you bounce ideas off each other,” said Spc. Nathan Moore, a mortarman with Delta Company, 1st Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment. “That’s how we’re overcoming the challenges.”
The assessment continued with observation lanes, a downed-pilot reaction drill, and day and night land navigation before concluding with a formal appearance board to evaluate professionalism, communication skills and overall readiness.
For Potts, who is overseeing his first Scout Selection Board, joining the Soldiers in the field is an important part of building trust.
“I’m trying to participate in as much as I can,” he said. “If a salty platoon sergeant can keep up with the young guys, it motivates them. It shows we’re in it together.”
He added that the Raptor Platoon’s long-standing tradition of excellence guides everything he does.
“The scout platoon has a strong tradition because we go through this selection process,” Potts said. “Even if Soldiers don’t have every skill right now, we can teach them. What matters is motivation, teamwork and the willingness to learn.”
With a sense of pride and responsibility, Potts said his goal is to prepare the next generation of scouts for success.
“My job is to make sure they have what they need to be successful,” he said. “If I’m doing that, then I’m doing my job. I want to see these Soldiers succeed in the future.”
The battalion will fill its scout platoon positions based on the order of merit list established at the close of the selection.