Best Warrior

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BALTIMORE – Fourteen competitors from throughout the Army National Guard are slated to battle it out in a physically and mentally challenging five-day competition to determine the Army Guard’s Soldier and Noncommissioned Officer of the year July 14-18 in locations throughout Maryland.

Hosted by the Maryland Army National Guard the 2025 Army National Guard Best Warrior Competition tests competitors on a variety of tactical and technical tasks including weapons proficiency, land navigation, emergency medical tasks, and combat casualty care. These tasks are completed over a grueling set of courses throughout the state that includes multiple timed ruck marches and the Army Combat Fitness Test.

Winners in the competition – one Soldier and one NCO – are named the Army Guard’s Soldier and NCO of the Year and will compete in the Department of the Army Best Squad Competition this fall. Runners-up in the Best Warrior Competition fill out the Army Guard squad competing in the Best Squad Competition based on their finish in Best Warrior.

Competitors in this year’s Army Guard Best Warrior Competition include:

Soldier Category
Spc. Adam Andrews - Rhode Island
Spc. Robert Ruiz-Rhoades – Pennsylvania
Spc. Jaden Hughes - Alabama
Spc. Logan Rutledge – Indiana
Spc. Alexander Thomson – Nebraska
Spc. Canyon Blassingame - Montana
Sgt. Michael Fouts – Arizona

NCO Category
Sgt. Kristopher Piwowarczyk - New Jersey
Staff Sgt. Miles Crawford – Maryland
Staff Sgt. Nicolas White – Georgia
Staff Sgt. Brandon Byrne - Wisconsin
Sgt. Luke Entz – Nebraska
Sgt. Matthew Lee – Montana
Sgt. Luke Cloward - Utah

Video Gallery

Video by Marco Hinahon, Eric Osborne

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REPTX Day 4 Video

Naval Surface Warfare Center, Port Hueneme Division

Aug. 25, 2022 | 1:45

Remote Removal of Material Around Ship Fantail; Additive Manufacturing; AR; Nonskid Material and Corrosion Removal

During the fourth day of the Navy’s first-ever Repair Technology Exercise, or REPTX, government, industry and academia continue testing potential battle damage and repair products and services aboard Naval Surface Warfare Center, Port Hueneme Division’s Self Defense Test Ship (SDTS).

Hull Maintenance Technician Second Class Gerardo Vasquez with the Navy’s Surge Maintenance program operates the Epi-Jet surface cleaner, supplied by Navarre, Ohio-based Terydon Inc., to remove nonskid material from an upper deck of the Self Defense Test Ship (SDTS).

An operator maneuvers Boston Dynamics’ Spot inspection robot aboard the SDTS.

Serco deploys a Revolution remotely operated vehicle (ROV) to remove a line attached to the fantail of the SDTS.

Sarcos Technology and Robotics Corp. deploys a VideoRay Defender ROV outfitted with Sapien Sea Class robotic arms to remove a line attached to the fantail of the SDTS.

Sarcos Technology and Robotics Corp.’s Guardian DX robot, equipped with SurClean LLC’s laser ablation device, tackles some of the corrosion aboard the SDTS.

Petty Officer 1st Class Josh Miller, a reservist with the Navy’s Surge Maintenance program, uses Marine Safety Solutions’ RDI Shield, a rapid deployable spray shield that can be secured to piping systems and equipment to deflect fluid spray into a contained downward stream.

Hull Maintenance Technician 2nd Class Juan Marco Perez gears up for a battle damage fire simulation below decks with a self-contained breathing apparatus, or SCBA. He is show affixing a polymer-aerogel heat shield from Oros to a simulated broken water pipe that has been repaired and requires new insulation or “lagging.”

Essentium Inc. of Pflugerville, Texas is one of several additive manufacturing companies from around the country that brought its 3D printer to REPTX.

Terry Gromes Jr., director of strategic technology with Terydon, operates the company’s HH-40 hand-held tool to remove corrosion from a bimetallic strip on the SDTS.

Tara Scranton with Sarcos Technology and Robotics Corp. uses an augmented reality headset and body sensors to remotely operate the company’s Guardian DX robot on the bow of the SDTS.

Naval Sea Systems Command’s (NAVSEA) Naval Systems Engineering and Logistics Directorate Technology Office (NAVSEA 05T) is sponsoring REPTX 2022 and selected 65 technologies to participate.
NSWC PHD is a field activity of NAVSEA and is located at Naval Base Ventura County in California.