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 Staff Sgt. Richard Colletta

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U.S. Cavalry Spur Ride: The Journey

20th Public Affairs Detachment

May 16, 2018 | 4:36

The 6th Squadron, 6th Cavalry Regiment, “Six Shooters,” 10th Combat Aviation Brigade, a rotational unit serving in Korea under the 2nd Combat
Aviation Brigade, held a Spur Ride May 9-10. The Spur Ride is a rite of passage, designed to challenge Soldiers mentally and physically, validating unit leadership, reinforcing the cavalry tradition and certifying spur candidates as official spur holders.

The 36-hour long event featured numerous events including water survival training, physical fitness challenges, close combat scenarios, pugil stick combat
and concluded with a 12-mile ruck march. Many events are made to mirror great moments in the history of the U.S. Cavalry such as the charge of
Private George Platt, awarded the Medal of Honor for recovering the regimental flag of the 6th U.S. Cavalry.

The Spur Ride is one of the unit’s last major training events, culminating their 9-month deployment working side-by-side with their Republic of Korea
Army counterparts. 191 Republic of Korea and U.S. Soldiers completed the Spur Ride earned their spurs.

(Produced by U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Richard Colletta; Music by Bensound.com, license: CC BY-ND 3.0)