KINGWOOD, W.Va. –
Twenty-eight Soldiers and Airmen from the West Virginia Army National Guard (WVARNG), West Virginia Air National Guard (WVANG), and the District of Columbia Army National Guard (DCARNG), completed 17 tasks during the West Virginia National Guard Best Warrior Competition at Camp Dawson, West Virginia, April 21-23, 2023.
U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Avery Liller, Dept of Emergency Services, earned the title of WVARNG Noncommissioned Officer (NCO) of the Year and Spc. Bret Williams, 922nd Engineer Det., 1092nd Engineer Bn., 111th Engineer Bde., took home the title of WVARNG Soldier of the Year.
U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Matthew Stevens and Airman 1st Class Robert Davis, both of the 130th Airlift Wing, earned top performing NCO and Airman honors, respectively.
“It was tough, but I’m glad I did it… That’s what I want you to say at the end of this,” Command Sgt. Maj. Chadwick Moneypenny, WVARNG Command Sgt. Maj., told the competitors in the opening brief.
“You will be in uncomfortable situations,” said Moneypenny. “You are going to be tested. You are going to be challenged, and when you do things like this throughout your career and throughout your life, that becomes your habit to get you to success. Put yourselves in uncomfortable situations, where you’re not quite sure how it’s going to shake out, and if you continuously do that, you’re going to find success in your life.”
The annual Best Warrior Competition tests the physical abilities, leadership skills and critical thinking of Soldiers and Airmen as they complete basic and advanced core warrior competencies.
The three-day competition included events ranging from a six-mile ruck march, weapons’ shoot, swimming, day and night land navigation, and an obstacle course, which tests a warrior’s physical conditioning, while board interviews, a written test and essay completion tests mental preparedness.
Additional competencies included the concepts of shoot, move and communicate, by testing the participants on radio communications, grenade deployment, gas mask and personal decontamination operations, and medical assessments and treatment, all while completing a three-mile range run.
The intent of each Warrior Skill Level 10 task is to highlight individual readiness.
“To win a competition like this would mean that I’ve accomplished my skill level tasks, stayed physically fit, and have focused on being the best soldier I can be,” said Spc. Devun Williams-Castro of the E Co., 2nd Bn., 19th Special Forces Group (Airborne), West Virginia Army National Guard. “In the end, I chose to compete this year to challenge myself and represent my unit in a good manner.”
Some soldiers choose to return to Best Warrior to compete for the title a second year, despite knowing the challenges they will face.
“I come here and sharpen my skills, and I’m going to keep coming back, because as soldiers, our job is to continue to train, to improve, and get better prepared to be in the field or deployed.” said Spc. Michael Maglad of the 104th Maintenance Co., 74th Troop Command, District of Columbia Army National Guard. “Being part of the U.S. Army means we’re held to a higher standard, so we ought to not only hold ourselves to that higher standard, but we ought to be better every single day. That’s why I come. That’s why I keep coming.”
Senior leaders across the Guard understand that competing in and winning the Best Warrior Competition is no easy feat.
“There can only be one person that comes in first,” said Army Brig. Gen. Leland Blanchard, land component commander, District of Columbia National Guard. “But when you go back, you are certainly first among your peers, because you gave it everything you had.”
Virginia will host the regional Best Warrior competition this year, where Liller and Williams will compete alongside competitors from the District of Columbia, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland at Fort Barfoot May 16-19. Regional winners will go on to compete at the Army National Guard federal level, and the winners of that go on to represent the Army Guard the U.S. Army’s Best Warrior Competition.
Sgt. Lashanta Lucas, Recruiting and Retention Bn., and Spc. Michael Maglad, 104th Maintenance Co., 74th Troop Command, earned the title of DCARNG NCO and Soldier of the Year, respectively.
2023 Best Warrior competitors:
West Virginia Army National Guard NCO
Sgt. Anthony Brandy, A Troop, 1st Squadron, 150th Cavalry Reg., 77th Brigade Troop Cmd.
Sgt. Dustin Digman, Medical Detachment
Sgt. Matthew Dunn, 1201st Forward Support Co., 1st Bn., 201st Field Artillery Reg.,77th Brigade Troop Cmd.
Sgt. Martin Hackler, Headquarters and Headquarters Det., Joint Forces Headquarters
Sgt. Garrett Hamm, E Co, 2nd Bn., 19th Special Forces Group (Airborne)
Staff Sgt. Emma Harrison, C Co, 2nd Bn., 104th Aviation Regiment, 772nd Troop Command Bn., 111th Engineer Bde.
Sgt. 1st Class William Hasty, Army Interagency Training and Education Center
Sgt. Jacob Howard, Headquarters and Headquarters Co., 111th Engineer Bde.
Staff Sgt. Avery Liller, Dept of Emergency Services
Staff Sgt. Steven Macveigh, A Battery, 1st Bn., 201st Field Artillery Reg.,77th Brigade Troop Cmd.
Sgt. Dakota Murillo, 863rd MP Co, 771st Troop Command Bn., 111th Engineer Bde.
Sgt. John Rinehart, 119th Eng Co (Sapper), 1092nd Engineer Bde., 111th Engineer Bde.
Sgt. 1st Class Timothy Yarrish, 1st Modular Training Bn, 197th Regional Training Institute
West Virginia Army National Guard Warrior
SPC Christian Axman, 157th Military Police Co., 771st Troop Command Bn., 111th Engineer Bde.
PFC Zachary Cook, Medical Detachment
SPC Brendan Cooke, 1201st Forward Support Co., 1st Bn., 201st Field Artillery Reg., 77th Brigade Troop Command
SPC Bradley Falls, C Battery, 1st Bn., 201st Field Artillery Reg., 77th Brigade Troop Command
PV2 Patrick Graser, Headquarters and Headquarters Co., 111th Engineer Bde.
SPC Dana Westfall, Det. 1, B Co., 248th Aviation Support Bn., 772nd Troop Command Bn., 111th Engineer Bde.
SPC Devun Williams-Castro, E Co., 2nd Bn., 19th Special Forces Group (Airborne)
SPC Bret Williams, 922nd Engineer Det., 1092nd Engineer Bde., 111th Engineer Bde.
West Virginia Air National Guard NCO
Tech Sgt. Jessie Trejo, 167th Airlift Wing
Master Sgt. Matthew Stevens, 130th Airlift Wing
West Virginia Air National Guard Warrior
Airman 1st Class Robert Davis, 130th Airlift Wing
District of Columbia Army National Guard Warrior
Pvt. 1st Class Aikhim Hart, 372nd Military Police Bn., Headquarters and Headquarters Co., District of Columbia Army National Guard
Spc. Michael Maglad, 104th Maintenance Co., 74th Troop Command, District of Columbia Army National Guard
Officer Candidate Ge Wang, Joint Forces Headquarters, District of Columbia Army National Guard
District of Columbia Army National Guard NCO
Sgt. Lashanta Lucas, Recruiting and Retention Bn., District of Columbia Army National Guard