Photo By Tish Williamson | Mission and Installation Contracting Command noncommissioned officers will represent...... read more read more
JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas — Two noncommissioned officers from the Mission and Installation Contracting Command will advance to the 2026 Army Materiel Command Best Warrior and Best Squad Competition following top finishes at the Army Contracting Command Best Warrior Competition held March 23-27 at Fort McClellan, Alabama.
Sgt. 1st Class Eric Garcia, assigned to the 419th Contracting Support Brigade, earned the title of 2026 ACC Best Warrior champion, and Staff Sgt. Zachary Faust of the 418th Contracting Support Brigade was named runner-up. Both Soldiers will represent the MICC and ACC during the Army Materiel Command Best Warrior and Best Squad Competition scheduled for May 11-15 at Fort Rucker.
Annual best warrior competitions test Soldiers on physical fitness, tactical proficiency, Warrior tasks and battle drills, leadership, critical thinking, and resilience while identifying those who best embody the Warrior Ethos and Army Values. Competitors are assessed and tested at the local level before getting the opportunity to advance further to higher level competitions.
MICC Command Sgt. Maj. JennyAnne Bright said the ACC competition highlighted the strength and readiness of MICC’s noncommissioned officers and the leadership investment made across the contracting support brigades. She not only attended the competition but also served as the senior member during one of the competition’s professional boards.
“As an observer I could tell that the top five competitors out of 12 at the ACC competition were all from the MICC,” Bright said. “Therefore, I was impressed but not surprised that the MICC earned both the Best Warrior title and the runner-up position.”
To prepare, the five MICC Soldiers who qualified to represent MICC at the ACC-level competition were evaluated during brigade-level events across the command during the first half of fiscal year 2026. The competitions, conducted by the 410th, 418th and 419th Contracting Support Brigades, tested the Soldiers on a wide range of Army warrior skills and prepared them for advancement to the higher-level competition. The full list of the 2026 MICC brigade-level best warriors and best warrior runners who advanced to the ACC competition were as follows:
410th CSB- Staff Sgt. David Garza
418th CSB-Staff Sgt. Joshua Eash and Staff Sgt. Zachary Faust
419th CSB- Sgt. 1st Class Eric Garcia and Staff Sgt. John Ayres
Bright credited the Soldiers’ success at ACC to consistent preparation and leadership development at their home stations.
“One of the main reasons our NCOs are doing so well at these competitions is because their leadership has invested in them,” Bright said. “If you stay ready, you don’t have to get ready.”
In the end, it was Garcia was honored to be crowed the 2026 ACC Best Warrior. He said representing the organization at the competition level carries significance beyond individual achievement.
“I think winning means a lot,” Garcia said. “I am representing my organization. So, if I can take that win, that means that everyone that has helped me get to this point, wins as an organization.”
Faust, as the ACC runner up, advances with Garcia to AMC to earn spots on the 2026 ACC Best Squad. He said the ACC mantra, “Win Every Day,” continues to motivate him as he prepares for the next level of competition.
“It starts with little steps,” Faust said. “Little steps lead to bigger steps and then eventually it leads to mission success. So, winning is everything.”
The 2026 AMC Best Warrior and Best Squad Competition will bring together Soldiers from across the Army Materiel Command enterprise under the theme “Strong Sergeants and Strong Soldiers.”
Army leaders, teammates and supporters can follow the Army Materiel Command webpage and social media channels throughout next week’s competition for updates and coverage of the event at Fort Rucker.
About the MICC Headquartered at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston, Texas, the Mission and Installation Contracting Command comprises about 1,500 military and civilian members who are responsible for contracting goods and services in support of Soldiers as well as readying trained contracting units for the operating force and contingency environment when called upon. A subordinate command of the Army Contracting Command and the Army Materiel Command, MICC contracts are vital in feeding more than 200,000 Soldiers every day, providing many daily base operations support services at installations, facilitate training in the preparation of more than 100,000 conventional force members annually, training more than 500,000 students each year, and maintaining more than 14.4 million acres of land and 170,000 structures.
| Date Taken: | 05.08.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 05.08.2026 17:05 |
| Story ID: | 564856 |
| Location: | FORT SAM HOUSTON, TEXAS, US |
| Web Views: | 18 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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