Specialist James O’Toole, 3662nd General Support Maintenance Company, sets up a M18A1 Claymore Mine during the situational training exercise event, at the N.D. Army National Guard’s annual Best Warrior Competition, Camp Grafton Training Center, North Dakota, August 14, 2021. (National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Brandi Schmidt, 116th Public Affairs Detachment)
Best Warrior Competition
Day 1
Twenty-two North Dakota Army National Guard Soldiers from across the state pushed through physical and mental challenges during this year’s Best Warrior Competition (BWC) at Camp Grafton Training Center, near Devils Lake, Aug. 12 to 15, 2021. Over four days, these Soldiers challenged themselves to prove that they were the best warrior in the state. (National Guard story by Staff Sgt. Brandi Schmidt, 116th Public Affairs Detachment)
The BWC began with the competitors testing their physical endurance during a physical fitness event comprised of pull-ups, dead hang, farmers carry, and a three-mile run. From there, competitors donned their Army Service Uniforms to compete in knowledge boards, where they appeared before a Soldier board staffed by senior NCOs, answering a series of military-related questions. The competitors also inspected uniforms for deficiencies and completed a public affairs interview and written exam.
“This competition takes character, confidence and commitment,” said Command Sgt. Maj. Derek Heck, STATE COMMAND SERGEANT MAJOR for the N.D. National Guard and host of the event. “It challenges participants to demonstrate their military knowledge and strength in scenarios that replicate battlefield conditions.”
Soldiers participating in the Best Warrior Competition complete a dead-hang on pullup bars during the physical fitness event, August 12, 2021. (National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Brandi Schmidt, 116th Public Affairs Detachment)
Sergeant Zachary Fischer, 188th Army Band, inspects a uniform for deficiencies during the Best Warrior Competition, Camp Grafton Training Center, August 13, 2021. (National Guard photos by Spc. Drew Ward, 116th Public Affairs Detachment)
Day 2
The competitors began their second day in the early morning hours with a night land navigation course and then immediately followed into a day land navigation course. Rounding out the second day, competitors fired various weapons systems and finished with a physical challenge of a 6-mile foot march with a weighted rucksack. The remainder of the weekend tested the competitors' physical and mental toughness with a confidence course and rappel tower as well as evaluations on a number of basic military tasks that all Soldiers are required to know, regardless of military occupational specialty.
Specialist Konner Elliott, 191st Military Police Company, participates in the M-4 Carbine Rifle range event during the Best Warrior Competition, Camp Grafton South, August, 2021. (National Guard photo by Spc. Drew Ward, 116th Public Affairs Detachment)
Specialist Gannon Miller, 164th Engineer Battalion, left, and Pfc. Luis Alvarado, 1st Battalion, 188th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, assemble weapons during the expert Soldier badge tasks at the Best Warrior Competition, Camp Grafton Training Center, August 13, 2021. This stations consists of maintenance of the M240 7.62mm Light Machine Gun. (National Guard photo by Spc. Drew Ward, 116th Public Affairs Detachment)
From left, Pfc. Luis Alvarado of the 1st Battalion, 188th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, Spc. Myles Rickett, 426th Signal Company, and Sgt. Benjamin Snyder, 818th Engineer Battalion, participates in the Physical Challenge comprised of a 6-mile rucksack march during the Best Warrior Competition at Camp Grafton Training Center, August 13, 2021. (National Guard photos by Spc. Drew Ward, 116th Public Affairs Detachment)
Specialist Carter Scott, 1st Battalion, 112th Aviation Regiment, competes in the land navigation course, Camp Grafton south, August 13, 2021. (National Guard photos by Staff Sgt. Brandi Schmidt, 116th Public Affairs Detachment)
Specialist Jeffery Boyer, 817th Engineer Company, participates in the land navigation event during the Best Warrior Competition at Camp Grafton Training Center, August 13, 2021. (National Guard photos by Spc. Drew Ward, 116th Public Affairs Detachment)
Day 3
Sergeant Jordan Benth, 191st Military Police Company, returns reactive fire during the situational training exercise portion of the Best Warrior Competition August 14, 2021. (National Guard photos by Spc. Drew Ward, 116th Public Affairs Detachment)
Day 4
Staff Sergeant Matthew Ruby, 818th Engineer Company (SAPPER), negotiates an obstacle during the confidence course at the Best Warrior Competition, August 15, 2021. (National Guard photos by Spc. Drew Ward, 116th Public Affairs Detachment)
State Partners Visit Best Warrior Competition
Four senior non-commission officers (NCOs) of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) attended the N.D. National Guard's Best Warrior Competition, Camp Grafton Training Center, Devils Lake, August 12 to 15, 2021. (National Guard story by Lt. Col. Mark McEvers, N.D. National Guard State Partnership Program Manager)
The Ghanaian NCOs visited the competition as part of our National Guard Bureau's State Partnership Program. Besides Ghana, the N.D. National Guard is also partnered with the African nations of the Republic of Benin and the Togolese Republic. The purpose of this bilateral engagement with our Ghanaian partners was to expose them to our Soldier competition process, paving the way for their Soldiers to enter future competitions. According to McEvers, “This is the first time in our 16-year partnership that we've hosted the most senior NCOs here in North Dakota."
From left: Maj. Jarrod Simek, N.D. National Guard bilateral affairs officer; Warrant Officer Daniel Addo, sergeant major of the Ghanaian Army; Col. Ed Johnson, commander, Camp Grafton Training Center; Warrant Officer 1 Stanley Agrah, sergeant major of the Ghana Armed Forces Engineer Training School,; Staff Sgt. Mark Sarpong. Ghana Armed Forces; Sergeant Major Ramous Barker, senior enlisted leader of the Ghana Armed Forces; and Command Sgt. Maj, Brad Reed, Camp Grafton Training Center command sergeant major. (National Guard photo by Lt. Col. Mark McEvers, N.D. National Guard State Partnership Program Manager)
Sergeant 1st Class Brent Noonan, 141st Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, left, demonstrates the M2 Browning 50 caliber machine gun to WO1 Stanley Agrah, sergeant major of the Ghana Armed Forces Engineer Training School, during the Best Warrior Competition, Camp Grafton Training Center, Aug 14, 2021. (National Guard photos by Spc. Drew Ward, 116th Public Affairs Detachment)
Staff Sergeant Mark Sarpong, Ghana Armed Forces, throws a M67 fragmentation grenade as part of the events of the Best Warrior Competition at Camp Grafton Training Center, Devils Lake, N.D., August 18, 2021. (National Guard photos by Spc. Drew Ward, 116th Public Affairs Detachment)
Sergeant Major of the Ghanaian Army, Warrant Officer Daniel Addo, second from right, participates in the Soldier board during the Best Warrior Competition at Camp Grafton Training Center, Devils Lake, N.D., August 13, 2021. From right, Command Sgt. Maj. Scott Obrigewitch, Addo, Command Sgt. Maj. Jason Magnuson, Command Sgt. Maj. Joseph Wesson, and Staff Sgt. Brandon Wendland, last year's BWC winner in the non-commissioned officer category. (National Guard photos by Spc. Drew Ward, 116th Public Affairs Detachment)
Sergeant Major Ramous Barker, senior enlisted leader of the Ghana Armed Forces, addressed the BWC participants saying, “I have never witnessed such professionalism from Soldiers who are so young - you are highly professional.” He was also full of praise of the NCO leadership and the mentoring provided by the N.D. National Guard command sergeants majors to the participants during the competition.
Barker concluded by advising the BWC competitors to “believe in themselves, believe in your leadership, and believe in your equipment.”
Engineers Ready for Duty
Fifty-four Soldiers of the N.D. Army National Guard’s 835th Engineer Utilities Detachment (EUD) were honored at a sendoff ceremony in Devils Lake, N.D., August 13, 2021. (National Guard story and photos by Staff Sgt. Ashley Johlfs, N.D. National Guard Visual Information)
Nearly 400 Family, friends and fellow Guard members attended the ceremony wishing Soldiers well ahead of a year-long U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM) mission. The ceremony was held on the campus of Lake Region State College.
Addressing the departing Soldiers were the commander-in-chief of the N.D. National Guard, Gov. Doug Burgum, U.S. Senator John Hoeven, Maj. Gen. Al Dohrmann, North Dakota National Guard adjutant general, and Command Sgt. Maj. Eric Binstock, N.D. National Guard senior enlisted leader. The unit is commanded by Capt. Justin Johnson and the senior enlisted Soldier is Sgt. 1st Class Charles Holzer.
Major General Al Dohrmann, North Dakota National Guard adjutant general, renders remarks during the sendoff ceremony for the 835th Engineer Utilities Detachment (EUD), Devils Lake, August 13, 2021. Seated from left is Gov. Doug Burgum, Sen. John Hoeven, Command Sgt. Maj. Eric Binstock, N.D. National Guard senior enlisted leader, and Chaplain (Capt.) Chad Gion.
The unit will be supporting Operation Spartan Shield, a multi-component – active duty, National Guard, and U.S. Army Reserve operation. The mission is to maintain U.S. military posture in Southwest Asia, strengthen defense relationships, and to build partner capacity. The unit’s specific tasks will consist of vertical construction and utility work to support units already in theater.
Engineer Annual Training
About 155 Soldiers of the 164th Engineer Battalion are wrapping up a successful annual training that ran from Aug. 6 to 20, 2021 at Camp Ripley, Minnesota. Training includes crew-served weapons and rifle qualifications, hand grenade training, a FTX (field training exercise), CPX (command post exercise), and other battalion-level collective training events. (National Guard story and photos by Officer Candidate Michaela C.P. Granger, N.D. National Guard)
Staff Sergeant Scott Kraft participates in the 164th Engineer Battalion's command post exercise during annual training, Camp Ripley, Minnesota, August 16, 2021.
Brigadier General Leo Ryan, commander, N.D. Army National Guard, and Command Sgt. Maj. Derek Heck, state command sergeant major for the N.D. National Guard visited the 164th Engineer Battalion Soldiers during their training, Aug 16, 2021.
Retirees Weekend Scheduled for September
The N.D. National Guard Retirees Reunion will be held Sept. 10 to 12, 2021, at the Camp Grafton Training Center, near Devils Lake, N.D. (National Guard story by retired Lt. Col. Shirley Olgeirson, N.D. National Guard Historian)
Participates will experience briefings on the updates at Camp Grafton Training Center (CGTC), retirees' and Veterans' benefits, long term care and how to avoid Medicaid “claw back” loss of assets. The informative agenda includes updates from Maj. Gen. Al Dohrmann, N.D. adjutant general, as well as update briefs from the Air and Army National Guard.
If you haven’t been to CGTC in awhile, you’ll want to come and have a look. The quarters are better than ever. The bachelor officers quarters (BOQs) have been updated with individual rest rooms and some of the old mess halls have been converted into new 6-plex . A tour of CGTC on Saturday afternoon will take you to the new bridge training site, boat ramp, and recreational vehicle campground (where pets are allowed during the retirees weekend), among other things happening on post.
It's not too late to sign up for this year's reunion; registrations accepted until August 21. Please click to download registration form. For more information email ndguardhistory@outlook.com or call 701-333-2016.
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