After days of physical and mental challenges, the Wyoming Army National Guard named its top Soldiers during the 2025 Best Warrior Competition held April 10–14 at Camp Guernsey Joint Training Center.
Sgt. Chet Slater earned the title of Noncommissioned Officer of the Year, and Spc. Jacob Hicks was named Soldier of the Year. Both will advance to represent Wyoming at the regional Best Warrior Competition later this year, competing against top service members from neighboring states in the National Guard’s Region VI.
Hosted by the 94th Troop Command, the annual competition brings together Soldiers from across Wyoming to test their tactical proficiency, military knowledge and overall Soldier readiness. Events included day and night land navigation, a written exam, appearance board, weapons qualification, medical and warrior task lanes, obstacle courses, and a 12-mile ruck march.
“This competition is about more than just winning,” said Command Sgt. Maj. Curtis Jacobs, senior enlisted leader for the 94th Troop Command. “It’s about what Soldiers take away from the experience—what they learn, and how they share that knowledge and motivation with their unit. The winners are important, but so is the professional development of everyone who competes.”
Jacobs emphasized the competition’s ability to reinforce core Soldier skills while building esprit de corps.
“My favorite part is the energy and excitement the competitors bring,” Jacobs said. “You can see the pride and motivation in every event, and it inspires everyone around them—from the evaluators to the support staff.”
Capt. Tanner Vesledahl, the officer in charge of the 2025 competition, said organizing the event was a months-long effort that required coordination across multiple units and sections.
“This competition is a total team effort,” Vesledahl said. “From medics and range operations to logisticians and support personnel, it takes collaboration at every level to deliver a safe, effective and challenging event for our competitors.”
Vesledahl said the Best Warrior Competition serves as a tool for professional development and readiness.
“The event strengthens relationships not only among competitors, but between different elements across the force—maneuver units, sustainment, and support roles alike,” he said. “And when you bring them all together under shared hardship and purpose, it fosters a culture of trust and teamwork that extends well beyond the competition.”
Vesledahl also hopes to expand the scope of future competitions by involving the Wyoming National Guard’s international partners.
“In future years, I’d love to see participation from our partner nation Tunisia,” he said. “We’ve built a strong state partnership program, and this event could be a great way to deepen that relationship through friendly competition.”
For Spc. Jacob Hicks, a Soldier with an 11B infantry military occupational specialty, the decision to compete was personal.
“I wanted to see how I stack up against other Soldiers in the state,” Hicks said. “Being in the infantry, I wanted to test whether that gives me an edge—and more importantly, see where I can improve.”
Hicks said his strongest events were the medic lane and weapons qualification.
“I think I did extremely well,” he said. “It’s all about pushing yourself beyond your comfort zone and taking those lessons back to the unit. That’s where the real value is.”
Sgt. Chet Slater, also an 11B infantryman, said the competition offered a chance to participate in some of the most challenging and realistic training available within the state.
“I wanted to be a part of some great training and see what the state of Wyoming has to offer,” Slater said. “The event I looked forward to most was the 12-mile ruck. It’s tough, but it’s also one of the best ways to test your endurance and grit.”
Both Slater and Hicks will continue training in the coming months to prepare for the regional-level competition. They will represent Wyoming alongside winners from other Region VI states, which include Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota and Idaho.
| Date Taken: | 04.14.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 04.17.2025 20:13 |
| Story ID: | 495621 |
| Location: | GUERNSEY, WYOMING, US |
| Web Views: | 36 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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