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Best Warrior Competition
by MediaNation
Texas Military Department 2021 Best Warrior Competition was conducted at Camp Swift near Bastrop, Texas on March 4-6, 2021. The annual three-day competition measures service members’ mental toughness, physical strength and determines for Army personnel who will advance to the regional competition. The overall winner was SGT Mark Masten, 36th Combat Aviation Brigade, NCO Best Warrior and SrA Christopher Gangeme, 136th Security Forces Squadron, Junior Enlisted Best Warrior. The Army and Air winners were as follows:
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SGT Mark Masten NCO of the Year – Texas Army National Guard SPC Addison Smith Soldier of the Year – Texas Army National Guard SSgt Marcos Hernandez NCO of the Year – Texas Air National Guard SrA Christopher Gangeme Airmen of the Year – Texas Army National Guard
THE TEXAS MILITARY DEPARTMENT hosted this year’s Army National Guard Region V Best Warrior Competition at Camp Swift near Bastrop, Texas, May 3-7, 2021. Fourteen competitors from Texas, Nebraska, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Louisiana, and Missouri National Guards competed in events that test their combat readiness skills.
Texas was represented during the competition by SPC Addison Smith and SSG Stephen Southerlin II. SGT Mark Masten the Texas Army National Guard NCO of the Year was unable to attend due to other obligations. Traditionally, two Army National Guard Soldiers from each state compete in the annual event, but this year one lone Texas Air National Guardsman from the 136th Security Forces Squadron in Fort Worth, stood amongst the competitors – SrA Christopher Gangeme.
“Having the opportunity to take part in this competition is a very significant experience and it is important to have Air Guard representation next to the Army,” Gangeme said. “We often serve together, so this is a good opportunity for us to come together and build camaraderie with a little friendly competition.”
Over the past year Gangeme and his fellow Airmen at the 136th Security Forces Squadron mobilized in support of the Texas Military Department’s COVID-19 response and other stateside responses. SrA Gangeme will not move on to the next level, but he said he is still humbled and honored to have made it this far to represent the Texas Air National Guard.
At the Region V Best Warrior Competition, one noncommissioned officer and one junior enlisted was selected to move on to compete at the national competition. Home state advantage showered good luck on Texas who dominated the event with both wins. SSG Stephen Southerlin II was named NCO of the Year and SPC Addison Smith was named Soldier of the Year and went on to represented Region V at the National Competition. The 2021 Army National Guard National Best Warrior Competition was held at Camp Navajo, Arizona, at the end of July. The competition like the state and regional competition spans three physically and mentally demanding days where competitors are tested on a variety of tactical and technical skills as they vie to be named the Army National Guard’s Soldier and Noncommissioned Officer of the Year.
Although our Texas troops put forth a gallant effort, they were not successful in winning the Best Warrior top honors. The National Guard Soldier of the Year was SGT William Luken from the Tennessee National Guard, and the NCO of the Year was SSG Zachary Carlson of the Utah National Guard. These two winners will represent the Army National Guard in the Department of the Army Best Warrior Competition later this year. H
SGT MARK MASTEN, 36th Combat Aviation Brigade, completes a 9 mile ruck march during the Texas Military Department 2021 Best Warrior Competition. SGT Masten was named Texas National Guard NCO of the Year at the end of the competition.
SPC ADDISON SMITH (right) with A Troop, 1-112th Cavalry Regiment was named the Texas Military Department Soldier of the Year. He was also named the National Guard Region V Soldier of the Year. SSG Stephen Southerlin II (left) with C Troop, 1-124th Cavalry Regiment was named National Guard Region V NCO of the Year. SSG Southerlin and SPC Smith represented Region V at the Army National Guard National Best Warrior Competition in Arizona. SRA CHRISTOPHER GANGEME, Texas Air National Guard, finishes the 400-meter swim portion of the Combat Water Survival Test assessment during the Region V Best Warrior Competition. SrA Gangeme was named the Texas Military Department 2021 Junior Enlisted of the Year and was allowed to compete against Army personnel for esprit de corps despite not being able to advance in this Army event. (Photo by SSG Mark Otte)
