Pa. Army National Guard Soldiers compete in Best Warrior Competition

Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Zane Craig | Seventeen Pennsylvania Army National Guard Soldiers from around the state competed in three categories at the 2023 state Best Warrior Competition April 15-19 at Fort Indiantown Gap. The Soldiers competed in nine events designed to test their physical and mental endurance: night land navigation, a medical event, a written exam, a mystery event, weapons zero and qualification, the obstacle course, the Army Combat Fitness Test, a 12-mile ruck march, and finally, a leadership/appearance board. The competitors for Soldier of the Year were: Cadet Talisha Brown, 28th Infantry Division Spc. Jacob Hanline, Pennsylvania National Guard Joint Force Headquarters Spc. Devon Heisler, 28th Expeditionary Combat Aviation Brigade Spc. Alex Pelkington, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team Spc. Nicolas Shaffer, 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team Spc. David Thomson, 213th Regional Support Group  

FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, PENNSYLVANIA, UNITED STATES

04.19.2023

Story by Sgt. 1st Class Zane Craig 

Joint Force Headquarters - Pennsylvania National Guard

FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, Pa. –Seventeen Pennsylvania Army National Guard Soldiers from around the state competed in three categories at the 2023 state Best Warrior Competition here April 15-19.

The Soldiers competed in nine events designed to test their physical and mental endurance: night land navigation, a medical event, a written exam, a mystery event, weapons zero and qualification, the obstacle course, the Army Combat Fitness Test, a 12-mile ruck march, and finally, a leadership/appearance board.

U.S. Army Spc. Nicolas Shaffer, a mortarman with 2nd Battalion, 112th Infantry Regiment, 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 28th Infantry Division from Shermans Dale, Pa., won the best Soldier portion of the competition.

U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Ryan Orner, an infantryman and Basic Leader Course Instructor with 3rd Battalion, 166th Regiment, Pennsylvania National Guard Joint Force Headquarters from Clark Summit, Pa., won the best noncommissioned officer portion of the competition.

U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Sean Fulton, a Black Hawk crew chief with 1st Battalion, 230th Regiment, 28th Expeditionary Combat Aviation Brigade. Fulton is from Cresson, Pa. and who currently resides in Cambridge, Mass., won the Command Sgt. Maj. Jay H. Fields NCO Leadership award.

“Hopefully when you competed, you competed not against each other but alongside each other,” said Brig. Gen. Laura McHugh, Pennsylvania’s deputy adjutant general-Army. “I heard a number of stories about how you all worked hard to help each other.”

The Best Warrior Competition recognizes Soldiers who demonstrate commitment to the Army values, embody the Warrior Ethos, and represent the Force of the Future. The challenges featured a mix of physical and mental tasks, assessing basic soldiering skills not unique to any military occupational specialty.

“These Soldiers motivate me, they motivate me more than you’ll ever understand” said state Command Sgt. Maj. Andrew Campbell. “It is Soldiers like this, that put all the extra time in away from family, away from school, away from their job, and they raise their hands to say, ‘I’ll go do that’ and they come here and compete hard.”

Campbell advised the Soldiers the camaraderie and relationships they built during the competition is priceless.

“I feel honored, I feel confident, and I feel like I’m ready to go,” said Orner, looking forward to the regional competition in May.

Both Orner and Shaffer said the most challenging part of the competition was going to do the land navigation event hours before dawn immediately after a tough day that included the obstacle course and ruck march.

“It’s an absolute honor to represent the unit I’ve been a part of for a while and that I’m able to reflect the training I’ve received from my leaders," said Shaffer. “I’m going in there motivated to represent Pennsylvania and I’m really excited to do so.”

Orner and Shaffer will represent Pennsylvania in the regional Best Warrior Competition at Fort Barfoot, formerly Fort Pickett, Virginia, May 15-19.

The competitors for Soldier of the Year were:

Cadet Talisha Brown, 28th Infantry Division
Spc. Jacob Hanline, Pennsylvania National Guard Joint Force Headquarters
Spc. Devon Heisler, 28th Expeditionary Combat Aviation Brigade
Spc. Alex Pelkington, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team
Spc. Nicolas Shaffer, 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team
Spc. David Thomson, 213th Regional Support Group

The competitors for NCO of the Year were:

Sgt. Jesse Benner, 28th Expeditionary Combat Aviation Brigade
Staff Sgt. Stephen Bruckno, 28th Infantry Division
Sgt. Tyler Eiden, 55th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade
Staff Sgt. John Hasse, 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team
Sgt. 1st Class Dalton Lawniczak, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team
Sgt. Kody Newberry, 213th Regional Support Group
Sgt. 1st Class Ryan Orner, Pennsylvania National Guard Joint Force Headquarters

The competitors for the Command Sgt. Maj. Fields award were:

Sgt. Ryder Blair, 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team
Staff Sgt. Sean Fulton, 28th Expeditionary Combat Aviation Brigade
Sgt. Nicholas Oliver, 28th Infantry Division
Sgt. David Young, Pennsylvania National Guard Joint Force Headquarters

For more photos of the competition: words

• Date Taken: 04.19.2023
• Date Posted: 04.19.2023 16:39
• Story ID: 442939
• Location: FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, PENNSYLVANIA, US
• Hometown: CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS, US
• Hometown: CLARKS SUMMIT, PENNSYLVANIA, US
• Hometown: CRESSON, PENNSYLVANIA, US
• Hometown: SHERMANS DALE, PENNSYLVANIA, US