Photo By Pvt. Josephine Malloy | Sgt. Leon Toscano, military police with the 237th Military Police Company, 941st...... read more read more
Soldiers and airmen from the New Hampshire National Guard (NHNG), alongside members of the Cabo Verdan and El Salvadoran armed forces, competed in a grueling test of skill, endurance, and warfighting proficiency during the 2025 New Hampshire Army National Guard (NHARNG) Best Warrior Competition from March 5-9, 2025, at locations across the state.
"It's mastering the fundamentals of what we need from our Soldiers in a challenging global environment," said Maj. Gen. David Mikolaities, Adjutant General of the NHNG. "The Best Warrior Competition brings out the best."
The competition commenced in the pre-dawn darkness as participants navigated the dense, foggy woods behind the Edward Cross Training Complex (ECTC) in Pembroke, N.H., relying solely on a map and compass to locate metal markers. They continued through till sunrise, testing their land navigation abilities in the night and daytime environments.
Then competitors transitioned into the Expert Physical Fitness Assessment, a series of sprints, calisthenics, weighted carries, and exercises while wearing 20-pound vests. With muscles burning and adrenaline pumping, they pressed on to the Army Warrior Task (AWT) event. This continuous testing lane assessed each competitor's ability to deploy tactical skills in a notional combat simulation through battle drills, such as reacting to enemy contact, performing battlefield first aid, and calling in medical evacuation.
The AWT placed competitors in a high stakes search and rescue scenario, where they had to respond to battlefield conditions in real time.
"I was told to go find a pilot," said Pfc. Nieve Boulter, a forward observer in the Headquarters and Headquarters Battery (HHB), 197th Field Artillery Brigade (197th FAB), NHARNG, and the winner of the competition among all junior-enlisted soldiers, making her the 2025 NHARNG Soldier of the Year. "I found the pilot and there was a sergeant there who told me he had a wound to his left leg, so I applied a tourniquet, and then I called in the nine-line."
Boulter, who completed initial entry training in January, relied on her foundation in basic training, her military occupational specialty training in radio communications, and her civilian education as a biomedical science major at the University of New Hampshire. She also credited her sponsor, Staff Sgt. Bradford Roberts, a forward observer in HHB, 197th FAB, and 2024 NHARNG NCO of the Year, with her success.
"I probably wouldn't be able to do this without him," said Boulter. "He helped me so much."
The competition moved to the Sig Sauer Academy and Experience Center in Epping, N.H., on the second day for marksmanship assessments, where competitors fired the M17 pistol and the newly fielded XM7 rifle. Sig Sauer manufactures both the M17 pistol and the new XM7 rifle at their factories in Newington and Exeter, N.H. The competitors were guided through a series of marksmanship challenges that tested their speed and accuracy.
"This is the first time that anybody in the New Hampshire National Guard has used this weapon system in a duty status," said Sgt. 1st Class Dean Vantassel, mobilization readiness noncommissioned officer (NCO), Joint Force Headquarters and NCO in charge of the rifle marksmanship assessment that day.
On the third day, competitors donned their service dress uniform for a board interview with senior leaders, testing their military knowledge and professional bearing. They later completed a written exam covering similar subject matter.
As the dawn broke on the horizon of the Atlantic Ocean on the final day of competition, warriors lined up at Odiorne Point State Park in Rye to begin the 12.4-mile foot march along Route 1A. With heavy rucks, competitors ran while navigating sea walls, harbors, beaches, and marshes before reaching the finish line at Hampton Beach.
The overall winner, Soldado Naun Isaias Ramirez Hernandez, a sniper with the Comando de Fuerzas Especiales, Fuerza Armada de El Salvador, sprinted to the finish line with a time of 1 hour, 58 minutes, and 42 seconds.
El Salvador and Cabo Verde, both in close affiliation with the NHNG through the State Partnership Program, sent competitors to N.H. to test their skills. While the participants from the partner nations are not eligible to win state titles associated with the competition, they have done well in the past few years.
"The best thing for New Hampshire National Guard soldiers and airmen is the fact that they can compete and meet our two partner nations," said Mikolaities. "It's all about allies and partners; we don't fight alone."
Sgt. Christopher Kiernan, an interior electrician with Detachment 1, 185th Engineer Support Company, 54th Troop Command, NHARNG, was the fastest NHNG competitor in the foot march, finishing third overall with a time of 2 hours, 16 minutes, and 19 seconds. He went on to claim the title of 2025 NHARNG NCO of the Year.
Kiernan, who was the 2023 runner-up for Soldier of the Year, competed at the regional level that year when the winner deployed overseas. Kiernan ended up finishing second again at the regional level.
After being named 2025 NHARNG NCO of the Year, Kiernan said he was both shocked and ecstatic.
"I'm excited to tell my family and my unit, to bring pride to the Engineers, and grateful for the strength God gave me," said Kiernan. "I'm glad that I can make my leaders proud because they've put a lot of effort into me."
Kiernan and Boulter will represent New Hampshire at the 2025 Region 1 Best Warrior Competition, set for May 19-23. This year, the NHNG will host the event at many of the same locations, with the ECTC serving as the primary battleground for the region’s top warriors.
| Date Taken: | 03.09.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 03.18.2025 12:14 |
| Story ID: | 492355 |
| Location: | PEMBROKE, NEW HAMPSHIRE, US |
| Web Views: | 664 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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