AMC names 2026 Best Squad after days of intense competition

Photo By Joseph M. Lee | U.S. Army Materiel Command Best Warrior and Squad winners stand at attention at the AMC Best Warrior Competition awards ceremony at the U.S. Army Aviation Museum, Fort Rucker, Alabama, May 15, 2026. The five-day competition evaluated Soldiers on tactical proficiency, physical endurance and warrior tasks to determine which competitors will represent AMC at the U.S. Army Best Squad Competition at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.  

UNITED STATES

05.15.2026

Story by Sgt. Maj. Alexander Croteau 

U.S. Army Materiel Command   

REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala. –  Army Materiel Command announced its 2026 Best Squad, recognizing the top Soldiers who excelled during a demanding four‑day competition designed to test readiness, lethality and teamwork under conditions mirroring large‑scale combat operations.

AMC Command Sgt. Maj. J. Garza commended the competitors for their discipline and resilience, noting that the event showcases the Army’s commitment to building cohesive, strong squads capable of thriving in contested environments.

“These Soldiers are a true testament to commitment, desire, and will to win.” said Garza, “They represent themselves, their units, the Army and most importantly our nation.”

Competitors from across the enterprise faced a continuous, high‑tempo series of events that included the combat water survival assessment, ruck marches, weapons qualifications on the M17 handgun, M320 grenade launcher, M249/M240/M2 machine guns, and M4 assault rifle, a casualty evacuation challenge, day‑into‑night land navigation, expert medical, infantry and Soldier tasks, 500 meter swim and the Army’s new combat fitness test.

The winners of the 2026 AMC Best Warrior and Squad Competition are:

• Squad leader / NCO of the Year: Staff Sgt. Timothy Maynard, Installation Management Command Directorate-Europe
• Team leader / Soldier of the Year: Spc. Ethan Rieck, Installation Management Command Directorate-Europe
• Team member: Spc. Kwesi Cook, Communications-Electronics Command
• Team member: Spc. Christian Guzman, Installation Management Command-Training and Transformation Directorate
• Team member: Spc. Colton Kittrell, Aviation and Missile Command

The alternates are:

• Squad leader: Staff Sgt. Ethen O'Dell, Installation Management Command Directorate-Europe
• Squad member: Spc. Josiah Edness, Installation Management Command Directorate-Europe
• Squad member: Pfc. Erick Baptista, Communications-Electronics Command

“These competitors did not arrive here by chance,” said Sgt. Maj. Chan’nel Black, AMC’s operations sergeant major and overseer of the competition. “They earned the opportunity to compete because their commands saw in them the qualities we expect from the Army’s best: competence, character, fitness, discipline and commitment to the Profession of Arms. The winning squad will represent AMC at the Army-level Best Squad Competition later this year at Fort Benning, Georgia.

• Date Taken: 05.15.2026
• Date Posted: 05.19.2026 15:33
• Story ID: 565694
• Location: US