Combat engineer emerges as Nevada Army Guard’s Noncommissioned Officer of the Year

RENO, NV, UNITED STATES

04.07.2023

Story by Sgt. Albert Valladares 

106th Public Affairs Detachment

RENO – A combat engineer from the Fallon-based 609th Engineer
Company, Staff Sgt. Alec Canepa-Teal, 25, of Reno, captured the
Nevada Army Guard title of the 2023 Noncommissioned Officer of the
Year last week after he won the annual Best Warrior competition in
Hawthorne, Nev.
A native of the Biggest Little City, Canepa-Teal has been in the
Army for six years, including five on active duty.
In addition to serving with the 609th, Canepa-Teal attends Truckee
Meadows Community College and is studying to become a Emergency
Medical Technician. Canepa-Teal said he is committed to helping his
hometown community through both military and civilian service.
This year’s Best Warrior contest included Soldiers from both Fiji
and Tonga, two of Nevada’s three state partnership countries. Canepa-
Teal said he enjoyed the challenge of being pushed to his limits by the
international competitors while learning about new cultures. He said the
Tongan and Fijian Soldiers were very humble and supportive and readily
shared their knowledge with Nevada’s Soldiers. (The international
Soldiers competed in an exhibition status and were not eligible for
Nevada’s Best Warrior title.)
Canepa-Teal said this year’s Best Warrior contest was a memorable
experience and he looks forward to representing the Nevada Army
Guard later this spring in regional and, hopefully, national competitions,
“I enjoyed the opportunity to represent the state I grew up in,”
Canepa-Teal said. “I wanted to turn in a good performance do a good job
representing my peers and my family. I wanted to make the international
Soldiers earn their places in each respective event.
“I truly believe competition brings out the best version of
ourselves.”

• Date Taken: 04.07.2023
• Date Posted: 04.19.2023 00:26
• Story ID: 442701
• Location: RENO, NV, US