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 JoAnna Delfin

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Granular Activated Carbon Filters at the Red Hill Facility

Commander Navy Region Hawaii

June 12, 2023 | 0:19

A granular activated carbon filtration system filters water drawn from the Red Hill Shaft before pumping the clean and safe water into Halawa Stream. In response to feedback from the Hawaii community, the Navy is conducting a flow optimization study at the Red Hill Shaft to determine if the system can be pumped at a reduced usage while still meeting the capture zone requirements identified in the State of Hawaii’s Emergency Order of May 2022. Prior to April 2022, the Red Hill Shaft pumped up to 5 million gallons of water per day, which was then pumped through granular activated carbon filters. Coordinating with DOH, the Navy reduced pumping to 3 million gallons of water per day on May 1, and then to 1.8 million gallons a day on May 23. The water is tested on site, both before and after it passes through the filters, and then is pumped into Halawa Stream; the DOH approved a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit Jan. 27, 2022, for these operations. (U.S. Navy photo by JoAnna Delfin)