Stratford grad soldier of year

Like the old recruiting motto, Matthew Sotiroglou of North Charleston wanted to serve his country and be the best he could be.

This week it paid off. Spc. Sotiroglou was named soldier of the year for the S.C. National Guard after completing a variety of tests ranging from the classroom to weapons training, physical fitness and navigating his way out of the woods.

Adjutant General Stanhope Spears made the announcement Wednesday.

For Sotiroglou, 22, the competition was part of a series of personal tests he likes to face that "push your body to the limit," he said.

Sotiroglou, who grew up in Crowfield and graduated from Stratford High School in Goose Creek in 2005, always wanted to serve.

He joined the guard after finishing high school early but delayed his duty so that he could complete a mission to Mexico with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

His first choice was training with a Special-Forces-aligned unit in Alabama, but he was forced to transfer to South Carolina after injuring his knee.

His unit here, the 218th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, is primarily tasked with responding to natural disasters, from earthquakes to hurricanes.

During the week Sotiroglou works at Alcoa, helping to produce aluminum.

His wife, Emily, is a student at the College of Charleston.

Winning the state title came after various competitions at the lower, brigade level.

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For the state competition, the testing covered his uniform appearance, disassembling and reassembling four types of weapons, physical fitness and a four-point navigation test covering several thousand yards.

Other drills included searching a vehicle for hidden bombs and frisking a detainee.

Sotiroglou's superiors said the selection was easy. "He leads by example," said his 1st Sgt. Robert Smith. "No task is too hard or to difficult for him."

Sotiroglou said he eventually would like to track back into Ranger school, something his wife supports on the reasoning that it would be safer than most other units.

"They're so highly trained," she said.

He now moves on to the regional competition set for next month at Fort Bragg and Camp Butner, N.C.

Reach Schuyler Kropf at 937-5551, or skropf@postandcourier.com.