Minnesota Soldiers compete at Region IV Best Warrior Competition

Two Minnesota National Guard Soldiers, Army Spc. Dan Whited of Moose Lake and Army Sgt. Devon Shaw of Elk River represented the state at the Region IV Best Warrior Competition, held April 30 to May 3, at Fort McCoy, Wisconsin. The competition brought together 14 of the region’s top Soldiers and noncommissioned officers for a test of combat readiness, tactical knowledge, and physical fitness.

Command Sgt. Maj. Jason Rost, who has led Minnesota’s involvement in Best Warrior for nearly a decade, emphasized the competition’s focus on building lethality and improving unit readiness.

“At the direction of our federal leadership all military services and components have been directed to focus on the essential functions of our nation’s defense – which is led by our ability to build lethality,” said Rost. “In practice, this translates to individual and squad-level capability. The Best Warrior Competition highlights the skills and proficiencies that make all Army Soldiers functionally lethal – the ability to shoot, move, and communicate.”

Rost noted that the 2025 competition was the most immersive and challenging he has seen.

“Our competitors dove headfirst into it,” said Rost. “They were all challenged in unexpected ways – and their attitudes and character carried them through to the end.”

Whited, an infantry Soldier with the Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 194th Armor Regiment, and Shaw, a horizontal construction engineer with the 850th Engineer Construction Company, advanced to the regional event just days after competing at Minnesota’s competition.

Both Soldiers were tested on a wide range of warrior tasks, including marksmanship with the M4 rifle, M17 pistol, and M249 squad automatic weapon, as well as the Army Combat Fitness Test, day and night land navigation, an appearance board, written exam, combat water survival, a confidence course, and a 12-mile ruck march.

“It’s very good knowledge to test on,” said Whited, recognized as the runner-up in the Soldier category. “It shows that everyone needs to be constantly [learning]. It’ll be good to bring this knowledge back to the unit and our section to help train them.”

Whited, who has competed in multiple state competitions and now twice at the regional level, said that land navigation was his favorite challenge.

“You’re disorientated when you get out there,” he added. “It was unique because you started in the morning for the night land navigation and then it progressed into the day.”

For Shaw, competing in the noncommissioned officer category was a test of individual performance and a chance to lead by example. He hopes to be an inspiration to younger service members.

“It’s a great way to show Soldiers what it means to excel,” added Shaw. “The Best Warrior Competition builds the esprit de corps. My favorite part was meeting all the other noncommissioned officers and Soldiers from other states. We all became a team despite being competitors.”

Looking ahead, both Whited and Shaw have big plans for the future. Whited hopes to continue competing in competitions like this and possibly sponsor another Soldier one year. Shaw is looking to attend both the U.S. Army’s Sapper Leader Course and the Drill Sergeant Academy. He hopes to run a marathon and complete a full Olympic triathlon and Ironman before turning 25.

Rost emphasizes that supporting competitions like this is still critical as resource priorities shift across the Army.

“We must carefully focus and prioritize resources to maximize efficiencies and provide the ‘most bang for the buck’ moving forward,” added Rost. “While the Best Warrior Competition at the State and the National level highlight our Soldiers and NCOs core competencies, resourcing these competitions moving forward must be carefully maneuvered and balanced against organizational readiness and priorities.”

Beyond individual recognition, the competition is a powerful tool for professional development and esprit de corps for those who participate and the units they return to. It reinforces foundational Soldier skills while celebrating excellence within the enlisted ranks.

“At its core, competition drives innovation, inspiration, and improvement,” said Rost. “While the Army has several competitions across its service, the Best Warrior Competition/Best Squad Competition is unique in that it is designed specifically to highlight enlisted Soldiers. Enlisted Soldiers make up nearly 80% of Army formations – so a competition which highlights the very best of this cohort demonstrates to our service, our nation, and our world what makes the United States Army world class – it’s Soldiers.”

Story by Staff Sgt. Mahsima Alkamooneh
Minnesota National Guard