The Minnesota National Guard is joined by Croatian and Canadian armed forces this weekend to participate in the 2023 Best Warrior Competition at Camp Ripley. The four-day competition is designed to test the Army knowledge of competitors to determine who is the best non-commissioned officer and soldier.

This year’s contest featured exams, essays, the Army Combat Fitness Test, weapons qualifications, an obstacle course, live fire exercise, and a ruck march, among other things. Many of the skills seen during the contest directly reflect the training the soldiers received while training to be in the military.

Staff Sgt. James Frank indicated the international aspect helps those in the Army to learn how others train and operate in the field. He said it gives them an opportunity to swap ideas and improve themselves while also helping the United States’ NATO partners improve as well. Winning is still goal of the competition, though, and year’s winner will advance to the Region IV competition hosted by the Ohio National Guard in May.

By — Charlie Yaeger