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 Sgt. 1st Class Eric Pahon

Memorial Slide Show for Fallen 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade Pilots

82nd Combat Aviation Brigade

June 9, 2012 | 5:38

Task Force Pegasus held a memorial June 8 to celebrate the lives of Capt. Scott Pace and 1st Lt. Mathew Fazzari, who were killed in a helicopter crash June 6. The pilots were supporting ground forces when enemy fire struck the aircraft. More than 200 Soldiers turned out for the memorial, including Maj. Gen. James Huggins, 82nd Airborne Division Commander, Cmd. Sgt. Maj. Bryant Lambert, the 82nd Airborne Division Cmd. Sgt. Maj., Maj. Gen William Mayville, the Combined Joint Task Force-1 Commander, and Cmd. Sgt. Maj. Charles Sasser, Jr., the CJTF-1 Cmd. Sgt. Maj. Leaders and Soldiers from all TF Pegasus's task forces attended the ceremony on Bagram Airfield to pay their respects. Produced by Sgt. 1st class Eric Pahon. Also available in High Definition.