BALTIMORE – After five days of intense competition, Sgt. Michael Fouts and Sgt. Luke Cloward were named the Army National Guard’s 2025 Best Warriors in the Soldier and Noncommissioned Officer categories during a July 18 closing ceremony held in Annapolis, Maryland.
Fouts, an infantryman in the Arizona Army National Guard’s 158th Infantry Regiment, and Cloward, a motor vehicle operator in the Utah Army National Guard’s 214th Forward Support Company, triumphed over a field of 14 elite Soldiers and NCOs from across seven regions of the United States. Their victory earns them the honor of representing the Army National Guard at the U.S. Army’s Best Squad Competition later this year.
“This competition is the culmination of months, sometimes years, of preparation,” said Maj. Gen. Janeen L. Birckhead, adjutant general of Maryland. “These competitors are the best we have to offer, and their performance this week highlights the grit, leadership and excellence we strive for across the National Guard.”
Over the course of the week, competitors endured more than 20 demanding events designed to test their tactical expertise, mental agility and physical endurance. Events included day and night land navigation, obstacle courses, marksmanship, ruck marches, medical scenarios and mystery tasks designed to replicate the real-world challenges faced by Soldiers in combat and operational settings.
“These events are designed to push each Soldier beyond their comfort zone,” said Command Sgt. Maj. David Harry, command senior enlisted leader of the Maryland National Guard. “It’s about finding out who you are under pressure, and this year’s competitors demonstrated tremendous determination, adaptability and leadership.”
Before advancing to this national-level competition, each participant had to win both state and regional Best Warrior events — a testament to the caliber of talent on display.
Competitors represented a broad cross-section of the National Guard, bringing a wide variety of military occupational specialties, backgrounds and experiences to the field that highlighted the diversity and strength of the force.
Now crowned as the top Soldier and NCO in the Army National Guard, Fouts and Cloward set the standard for excellence and leadership. Their next challenge lies ahead as they prepare to compete against the best from across all Army components at the U.S. Army’s Best Squad Competition later this year.
Spc. Canyon Blassingame, an infantryman in the Montana National Guard’s 163rd Combined Arms Battalion; Spc. Logan J. Rutledge, an infantryman in the Michigan Army National Guard’s 38th Infantry Division; and Staff Sgt. Brandon M. Byrne, a recruiting and retention noncommissioned officer in the Wisconsin Army National Guard’s Recruiting and Retention Battalion were selected to join Fouts and Cloward in competing in Best Squad.
The Army National Guard Best Warrior Competition, established in the early 2000s, remains one of the most prestigious tests of Soldier skills and endurance, evolving each year to reflect the ever-changing demands of global readiness.