Best Warrior

Photo Gallery

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. Christopher Nicely

11th Airborne Division conducts AO security operations during JPMRC 26-02

11th Airborne Division

Feb. 15, 2026 | 1:12

Soldiers assigned to Alpha Company, 25th Brigade Support Battalion, 11th Airborne Division, conduct area of operation security during Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center 26-02 in the Yukon Training Area near Fairbanks, Alaska Feb. 2026. The Joint Paciﬁc Multinational Readiness Center (JPMRC) 26-02 is the U.S. Army’s premier Arctic-focused training exercise, designed to prepare Soldiers for large-scale combat operations (LSCO) in extreme cold weather environments. Taking place near Fairbanks, Alaska, this exercise is part of the Army’s broader effort to enhance readiness and operational capabilities in the Arctic region, a strategically signiﬁcant area for global security.