U.S. Army Soldiers assigned to 1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade, paddle a Zodiac boat toward a resupply point during the water-crossing event at the U.S. Army Europe and Africa Best Squad Competition at Grafenwoehr Training Area, Germany, Aug. 1, 2026. The movement requires synchronized paddling and clear communication as the squad positions the watercraft for the next phase of the event.
Teams from across U.S. Army Europe and Africa will meet at Grafenwoehr Training Area, Germany, to compete for the title of Best Squad, July 30-Aug. 6, 2026. The event tests the squad’s effectiveness, communication, and overall cohesion, as well as the individual Soldiers’ technical and tactical proficiency, endurance, and fortitude. This competitive training event exercises a full range of Squad-Level Skills; highlighting professional excellence and knowledge to determine the command’s top teams. Winners of this competition will advance to represent U.S. Army Europe and Africa at the Army Best Squad Competition. One noncommissioned officer and one junior Soldier will be selected out of the final winning squad to be named the Army’s Best NCO and Best Soldier of the Year, respectively. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Griffin Payne)
| Date Taken: | 08.01.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 08.01.2026 12:52 |
| Photo ID: | 9844200 |
| VIRIN: | 260801-A-WQ640-1006 |
| Resolution: | 6000x3368 |
| Size: | 3.99 MB |
| Location: | GRAFENWOEHR, DE |
| Web Views: | 14 |
| Downloads: | 2 |
This work, U.S. Army Europe and Africa Best Squad Competitors Conduct Zodiac Water Crossing [Image 7 of 7], by SGT Griffin Payne, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.