Photo By Spc. Alexandria Amos | U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Jason Fryman, the commanding general of the Georgia Army National...... read more read more
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MARIETTA, Ga. – The Georgia Army National Guard has named its best warriors for the year as of March 14, 2025. After an arduous week-long competition at the Cumming Readiness Center in Cumming, Georgia; Catoosa Volunteer Training Site in Ringgold, Georgia; and Tullahoma Volunteer Training Site in Tullahoma, Tennessee, two soldiers emerged victorious.
U.S. Army Sgt. Nicolas White clinched the title of Noncommissioned Officer of the Year, while Georgia Defence Force Cpl. Dachi Matiashvili was named Enlisted Soldier of the Year. Both were awarded the Georgia Meritorious Service Medal during a ceremony at Clay National Guard Center in Marietta, Georgia.
Coming in a close second for Enlisted Soldier of the Year was U.S. Army Spc. Heremes Rodriguez, who will compete in place of Matiashvili at this year’s Region III competition.
White and Rodriguez will face off against guardsmen from Alabama, Florida, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, and the Virgin Islands at the regional competition in Columbia, South Carolina, in April.
“I’m absolutely overjoyed,” White said. “It was an honor to compete, and I’m looking forward to regionals.”
Over five days, White and Matiashvili competed in 18 events over 144 hours against 10 fellow Georgia Guard soldiers representing all five of the state’s brigades and major commands, along with five additional competitors from the Georgia State Defense Force.
“I admire those I competed against,” Matiashvili said. “I met a lot of great people. I would encourage anyone wanting to compete to fight and reach their goals.”
Georgia State Defense Force Spc. Samual Brown received the Chad Mercer Award for exemplary performance in the competition. The award is given to those who exemplify the warrior spirit and show resilience against all odds. It is named in memory of U.S. Army Sgt. Chad Mercer, a Georgia Guardsman who competed multiple times in the State Best Warrior Competition. Mercer died in June 2005 during Operation Iraqi Freedom while assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 121st Infantry Regiment, 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team.
“I am honored,” Brown said. “This is my way of serving my community, and I feel like I’m a part of something bigger than myself.”
“Winning matters,” said Command Sgt. Maj. Matthew Eubank, co-noncommissioned officer in charge of the competition. “Competition drives excellence, and excellence in soldiers is what wins the fight. Seeing this competition play out and watching these competitors do everything they can to succeed is an inspiration to us all.”
The competition demonstrates the readiness and lethality of Georgia Army National Guard soldiers by testing them with physical fitness assessments, written exams, and other warrior tasks and battle drills. Georgia Army National Guardsmen and soldiers from the country of Georgia’s Defence Forces also continue to strengthen their nearly 30-year partnership through competition while promoting esprit de corps and resiliency.
| Date Taken: | 03.14.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 03.14.2025 12:10 |
| Story ID: | 492874 |
| Location: | MARIETTA, GEORGIA, US |
| Web Views: | 892 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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