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2025 Best Warrior Competition

 

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

 

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Video by Mark Rankin
Thurmond Lake recreation areas closed due to Hurricane Helene damage
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District
Feb. 6, 2025 | 1:37
SAVANNAH, Ga. – Aerial video of the J. Strom Thurmond Lake shows extensive damages to the campground areas damages caused by Hurricane Helene in 2024. A majority of the 51 Corps of Engineers-operated recreation areas at J. Strom Thurmond Dam and Lake are closed through the 2025 season and possibly longer, due to unprecedented damages caused by Hurricane Helene.
The damage included 500,000 cubic yards of downed trees, more than 21,000 leaning trees and 2,000 stumps, in addition to damaged buildings and other infrastructure. The hazardous debris and conditions rendered many areas inaccessible.
All existing campground and picnic shelter reservations will be cancelled, and cancellation fees will be waived. (USACE photos by Mark Rankin)
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