FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, Pa. –
FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, Pa. –Fifteen Pennsylvania Army National Guard Soldiers from around the state competed in three categories at the 2024 state Best Warrior Competition here April 11-14.
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. Ian Zimmerman, an infantryman with Delta Co., 1st Battalion, 110th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 28th Infantry Division, of Pittsburgh, Pa., won the best Soldier portion of the competition.
U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Patrick Stevens, a recruiting and retention NCO with Pennsylvania Recruiting and Retention Battalion, Joint Force Headquarters, of New Cumberland, Pa., won the best noncommissioned officer portion of the competition.
U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Chad Goodhart, a cavalry scout with Delta Troop, 2nd Battalion, 104th Cavalry Regiment, 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 28th Infantry Division, of Mount Holly Springs, Pa., won the Command Sgt. Maj. Jay H. Fields NCO Leadership award.
“Winning is important, we’re in the United States Army, we win,” said Brig. Gen. Laura McHugh, Pennsylvania’s deputy adjutant general-Army. “But the overarching theme I heard with this group is what a great, motivated, team-based group this is because the true leader doesn’t just win, the true leader wins and pulls other people up with them to help them do the same.”
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.
“You are inspirational, you inspired everyone that was out there watching you swim in 54-degree water to try and overcome” said state Command Sgt. Maj. Andrew Campbell. “Win, lose or draw it doesn’t matter, every one of you here is a winner.”
Campbell’s mention of 54-degree water referred to the mystery event, which included an 85-meter swim across Marquette Lake and dragging a weighted sled up a muddy hill, all immediately before the 12-mile ruck march.
“It feels good to win, the competition here was really hard and everyone was pushing each other at every event,” said Zimmerman.
Both Stevens and Zimmerman said they have identified certain skills they need to improve and train before the upcoming region two competition in May.
“It feels great to win, a lot of work went into this with my fiancé and I training and studying," said Stevens, whose fiancé is a Guard member currently in the Warrant Officer Course here.
Stevens and Zimmerman will represent Pennsylvania in the regional Best Warrior Competition in Maryland, May 6-10.
The competitors for Soldier of the Year were:
U.S. Army Spc. Nathaniel Detweiler, 55th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade
U.S. Army Spc. Alexis Doutt, PNG Joint Force Headquarters
U.S. Army Spc. Luke Shaffer, 28th Expeditionary Combat Aviation Brigade
U.S. Army Spc. Jacob Sharrah, Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion
U.S. Army Spc. Ian Zimmerman, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team
The competitors for NCO of the Year were:
U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Matthew Brown, 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team
U.S. Army Sgt. Jose Colon-Cruz, 213th Regional Support Group
U.S. Army Sgt. Nathan Enslin, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat team
U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Jayson Reppard, Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion, 28th Infantry Division
U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Luther Snell Jr., 28th Expeditionary Combat Aviation Brigade
U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Patrick Stevens, PNG Joint Force Headquarters
U.S. Army Sgt. Brice Vukmanic, Fort Indiantown Gap Training Center
The competitors for the Command Sgt. Maj. Fields award were:
U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Madison Foster-Alauzen, 55th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade
U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Chad Goodhart, 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team
U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Steven Will, 28th Expeditionary Combat Aviation Brigade