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 Tech. Sgt. Lisa Carlson

71st EACS Monitors the Sky

379th Air Expeditionary Wing

April 7, 2012 | 2:04

Package about the 71st Expeditionary Air Control Squadron, better known as “Pyramid,” managing air support in Afghanistan alongside joint coalition partners. Produced by Tech. Sgt. Lisa Carlson. Includes soundbites from Lt. Col. Trent Carpenter, commander of 71st EACS, Capt. Kelsey Finley, Senior Director, Squadron Leader Steven Cutajar, Senior Director, RAAF (Royal Australian Air Force), and Senior Airman Joseph Fletcher, Radar Technician. Also available in high definition. Script included below: ANCHOR LEAD: With so many operations going on at the same time, it’s difficult to imagine someone taking care of it all. Technical Sergeant Lisa Carlson explains… BODY: Announcer: How does the Air Force along with Joint Coalition partners manage air support in Afghanistan? …Through the 71st Expeditionary Air Control Squadron, better known as “Pyramid.” Carpenter (SB): “…We coordinate very extensively with our brothers from AWACS, the Marines, we have partners also in theatre and a couple of agencies out there that help us essentially get the air assets to the right spot at the right time in support of whatever is happening on the ground.” Announcer: This means synchronizing close air and counter air support, surveillance, special operation missions and air refueling. All done here… Finley (SB): “…some of the most difficult parts of the job is just managing a dozen things at once. Where you have 5 different controllers all talking to different aircraft all at the same time, you’re trying to listen to it- process it, as well as monitor what they’re typing to various agencies and just making sure the right information is going to right asset. This is the first time I’ve worked with coalition partners in a deployed situation where they are actually doing the exact same job right alongside with me.” Cutajar (SB): “It’s a great place to work, it’s nice to integrate with the U-S for coalition forces, it’s an opportunity to help the local unit out - the ultimate goal being is to make that we can transition both the air space and the ground environment back to the locals as soon as possible in a safe and efficient manner.” Announcer: Twenty different Air Force Specialty Codes make up the squadron. One of which is Radar maintenance- where the mission is to keep constant contact between all radar sites in the deployed A-O-R. Fletcher (SB): “I do these P-M-Is which are Preventive Maintenance Inspections on this to make it stay running… Nat Sound (Fletcher) SB: “…and the aircraft will talk right back to them.” Fletcher (SB): “We send out at a lower frequency and the aircraft actually talks to it/ that we can here or they can also see down range.” Carpenter (SB): “…that’s the best part for me is seeing that happen and all the great people that we have that make up the squadron.” Announcer: The 71st will continue to orchestrate support from above. I’m Technical Sergeant Lisa Carlson, Southwest Asia.