Nathan Eilenfeldt, a combat medic from Butler, fires his M4 rifle during the 2012 Army Reserve Best Warrior Competition at Fort McCoy, Wis.

FORT MCCOY, Wis. — Spc. Nathan Eilenfeldt of Butler, in the U.S. Army for just one year, was in an elite group of 40 soldiers at the 2012 U.S. Army Reserve Best Warrior Competition at Fort McCoy, Wis. The competition highlights the best of the 205,000 men and women serving as America’s warrior-citizens.

In the national competition last week, Eilenfeldt competed in fitness, weapons qualification with M4 rifles, day and night land navigation, mixed martial arts and multiple mystery events with little time to prepare.

Eilenfeldt is a combat medic assigned to the 463rd Engineer Battalion, 412th Theater Engineer Command.

A 2008 graduate of Slippery Rock High School, he attended Butler County Community College and is the son of Ray and Kathleen Eilenfeldt of Butler.

To be eligible for the competition, he trained with non-commissioned officers to get fit and tactically sound and won local and regional competitions.

Eilenfeldt remarked he gets his work ethic and determination from his father, Ray.

“My dad is the most influential person in my life,” Eilenfeldt said.