Thirteen South Dakota National Guard (SDNG) members competed for the title of “Best Warrior” at West Camp in Rapid City.
The competitors came from across the state to battle it out for the title of Soldier of the Year or Noncommissioned Officer of the Year.
Spc. Joel Christensen took home Soldier of the Year honors, while Staff Sgt. Lindsi Van Woert earned NCO of the year, according to a press release from the National Guard.
“You as soldiers are the embodiment of the excellence and culture of the South Dakota National Guard, the kind of young men and women you are empowers the ‘what we do’ and coming together for a competition like this demonstrates our tight-knit community,” said the SDNG’s Adjutant General, Maj. Gen. Mark Morrell during the award ceremony.
Enlisted competitors included Spc. Dylan Buschenfeld, Spc. Joel Christensen, Spc. Emil Leetch, Spc. Kyle Minert, Spc. Tyler Nicke, Spc. Seth Pippenger and Spc. Andrew Wipf.
Non-commissioned officer competitors included Sgt. Nickolas Hora, Staff Sgt. Logan Long, Staff Sgt. Gregory Melhbrech, Staff Sgt. Seth Schinke, Staff Sgt. Jaedon Van Roekel, and Staff Sgt. Lindsi Van Woert.
“I’m really impressed by each of you and am very appreciative of the leaders you are of our culture,” said Morrell.
The Best Warrior Competition is an annual event that tests the competitors’ physical and mental abilities with simulated combat scenarios and written and oral evaluations.