FORT SHAFTER, Hawaii - Every year, Soldiers from across the Pacific Theater come to Hawaii to compete for the title of Paralegal of the Year.

Nineteen Soldiers competed for this year's U.S. Army Pacific 2015 Paralegal Warrior Challenge, Sept. 21-25, at several locations on Oahu. Of those 19, only two could be crowned the winners, one noncommissioned officer and one junior enlisted Soldier.

Sgt. Nathan Ramos, a military justice paralegal NCO with 8th Special Troops Battalion, 8th Theater Sustainment Command, was named the USARPAC 2015 Paralegal NCO of the year.

"The competition was tough," said Ramos. "It was a week-long Spartan Race, is what I would compare it to, but I think it was a little more grueling than that."

Some of the events were a military board, a military occupational specialty (MOS) exam, Army Physical Fitness Test, 200-meter swim and an air assault obstacle course, which were conducted at Schofield Barracks and East Range.

"On Thursday, we had a six-mile ruck march around AMR [Aliamanu Military Reservation], followed by Warrior Tasks and Battle Drills, followed by another general MOS exam," Ramos said.

For Ramos, the swim and the ruck march were the toughest events during the competition but the biggest thing for him was realizing how far he could push himself.

"The camaraderie was really awesome," Ramos said. "What I thought was really cool was bringing other paralegals from off-island and have everybody here. So you're competing not only against other units from Hawaii but you're competing against Korea, Japan and Fort Lewis [Wash.]."

To commemorate his victory, Ramos was awarded an Army Commendation Medal and plaque during an awards ceremony held at Historic Palm Circle, Fort Shafter.