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Soldiers from Arizona and Utah were named the Army National Guard’s 2025 Best Warriors after five days of competition across Maryland last week.
Sgt. Michael Fouts (pictured left in the above photo), an infantryman with Arizona’s 1st Battalion, 158th Infantry Regiment, is the Army Guard Soldier of the Year, while Sgt. Luke Cloward (pictured right in the above photo), a motor vehicle operator with Utah’s 214th Forward Support Company, is the Noncommissioned Officer of the Year.
The two triumphed over a field of 14 elite Soldiers and NCOs from across seven regions of the United States.
“This competition is the culmination of months, sometimes years, of preparation,” said Maj. Gen. Janeen L. Birckhead, the adjutant general of Maryland. “These competitors are the best we have to offer, and their performance this week highlights the grit, leadership and excellence we strive for across the National Guard.”
Over the course of the week, competitors endured more than 20 demanding events designed to test their tactical expertise, mental agility and physical endurance.
Events included day and night land navigation, obstacle courses, marksmanship, ruck marches, medical scenarios and mystery tasks meant to replicate real-world challenges faced by Soldiers in combat and operational settings.
Officials announced the winners at the competition’s closing ceremony in Annapolis, Maryland, July 18.
“These events are designed to push each Soldier beyond their comfort zone,” said Command Sgt. Maj. David Harry, the Maryland National Guard’s command senior enlisted leader. “It’s about finding out who you are under pressure, and this year’s competitors demonstrated tremendous determination, adaptability and leadership.”
Before advancing to this national-level competition, each participant had to win both state and regional Best Warrior events — a testament to the caliber of talent on display.
Competitors represented a broad cross-section of the Army Guard, bringing a wide variety of military occupational specialties, backgrounds, and experiences to the field — highlighting the diversity and strength of the force.
Fouts and Cloward advance to compete against the best from across the Army at the service’s Best Squad Competition later this year.
Spc. Canyon Blassingame, an infantryman in Montana’s 1st Battalion, 63rd Combined Arms Battalion, Spc. Logan J. Rutledge, an infantryman with Michigan’s 38th Infantry Division, and Staff Sgt. Brandon M. Byrne, a member of Wisconsin’s Recruiting and Retention Battalion, were selected to join Fouts and Cloward.
The Army National Guard Best Warrior Competition, first established in the early 2000s, remains one of the most prestigious tests of Soldier skills and endurance, evolving each year to reflect the ever-changing demands of global readiness.
—By Sgt. 1st Class Brandon Ames, Maryland Army National Guard
