KINGWOOD, W.Va. –
The 2019 Region II Best Warrior Competition at Camp Dawson in Kingwood, West Virginia, concluded May 19th when Staff Sgt. Erich Friedlein of the 1st Battalion, 166th Regiment, Pennsylvania Army National Guard, was declared the Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO) of the Year and Spc. Hunter Olsen of Company D, 1st Battalion, 175th Infantry Regiment, Maryland Army National Guard, was declared the Soldier of the Year.
Twelve National Guard Soldiers from West Virginia, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, and the District of Columbia competed in the four day competition and participated in several events that were designed to test the physical abilities, leadership skills, teamwork and critical thinking of Soldiers as they completed basic and advanced core warrior competencies.
These events included a nine-mile ruck march with a 1,854 foot elevation gain, M4 carbine zero, the Army combat fitness test, obstacle course, water survival, and night and day land navigation to test a warrior’s physical conditioning. Board interviews, test and essay completion served to test their mental preparedness.
Additional competencies included radio communications, grenade and claymore deployment and use, gas mask and personal decontamination operations, medical assessments and treatment, and medical evacuation procedures.
These events served to highlight the competitor’s individual readiness and to officially recognize Soldiers who demonstrate a strong, personal commitment to the Army values and embody the warrior ethos.
Soldiers who competed in the competition were:
Sgt. Avery Liller of the 157th Military Police Company, West Virginia Army National Guard
Spc. Kendall Harris of the 2nd Battalion, 19th Special Forces Group (Airborne), West Virginia Army National Guard
Spc. Emmil Akwei of the 372nd Military Police Battalion, District of Columbia Army National Guard
Sgt. David Perry of the Mobilization Augmentation Command, District of Columbia Army National Guard
Sgt. 1st Class Paul Bosserman of Operations Company Detachment 1, 29th Infantry Division, Virginia Army National Guard
Spc. Esther Alger of Operations Company Detachment 1, 29th Infantry Division, Virginia Army National Guard
Staff Sgt. Cassandra Black of the 70th Regiment Regional Training Institute, Maryland Army National Guard
Spc. Hunter Olsen of Company D, 1st Battalion, 175th Infantry Regiment, Maryland Army National Guard
Staff Sgt. Erich Friedlein of the 1st Battalion, 166th Regiment, Pennsylvania Army National Guard
Cpl. Tyler Landis of the 121st Transportation Company, Pennsylvania Army National Guard
Staff Sgt. Nicholas Niehoff of Detachment 1, Company C, 1st Battalion, 126th Aviation Regiment, Delaware Army National Guard
Spc. Alexander Ricketts of Detachment 3, Company D, 1st Battalion, 126th Aviation Regiment, Delaware Army National Guard.
The Regional II winners will advance to the Army’s Best Warrior Competition to be held in Oklahoma later this year.