“Americans love a winner and will not tolerate a loser.”
General George S. Patton
Speech to Third Army on June 5, 1944

Army-Best Warrior Competition-George Patton-National Guard-Sergeant Peter Fillion-Sergeant Kirtley Finnell-Support Our Troops

Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey. (September 12, 2024): These immortal words from General Patton sum up the American will to compete to see who is the best of the best. In this photo by Specialist Nathaniel Delgado, Soldiers hold a briefing on a night operation to rescue a simulated high value target during the Army’s Best Warrior Competition. Best Warrior is an annual competition run by the Army to identify and recognize soldiers who demonstrate excellence in a myriad of combat skills.

This year’s winners are Sergeant Peter Fillion, an infantryman with C Troop, 2nd Squadron, 101st Cavalry Regiment, New York Army National Guard, and Staff Sergeant Kirtley Finnell with the 20th Special Forces Group, Alabama Army National Guard. As Soldier and Non-Commissioned Officer of the Year, they will receive prestigious honors and cash awards in recognition of their achievements, and they will represent the Army at special events throughout the year.

The pair emerged victorious over twelve competitors who were evaluated for their aptitude through board interviews, physical fitness tests, written exams, urban warfare simulations, and other soldier tasks and drills. The Soldiers compete in eighteen challenging events ranging from marksmanship to physical endurance tests. Soldiers conduct an eight-mile road march with ruck sacks and negotiate various obstacle courses. The warriors also competed in night land navigation exercises and battle drills involving water survival skills.

Sergeants Peter Fillion and Kirtley Finnell will represent the Army National Guard in the Army Best Squad Competition later this year.