Best Warrior Competition

Hawaiʻi Army National Guard Best Warrior Competition tests competitors on a variety of tactical and technical tasks including weapons proficiency, land navigation, emergency medical tasks and combat casualty care. These tasks are completed over a grueling set of courses throughout the state that includes multiple timed ruck marches and the Army Combat Fitness Test.

Winners in the competition – one Soldier and one Noncommissioned Officer – are named the Hawaiʻi Army Guard’s Soldier and Noncommissioned Officer of the Year. They compete in regionals against other National Guard Soldiers, and then the Army National Guard Best Warrior Competition, if they succeed there, they compete in the Department of the Army Best Squad Competition.

2026

Winners of the 2026 Hawaii Army National Guard (HIARNG) Best Warrior Competition pose for a photo with the HIARNG command team in Waimanalo, Hawaii, March 6, 2026. The winners of the best Soldier and best noncommissioned officer category from this event will advance to represent Hawaii at the Region VII Best Warrior Competition in New Mexico this spring. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. John Schoebel)
Noncommissioned Officer of the Year Sgt. Vu H. Nguyen
Soldier of the Year Spc. Brock K. Lindman