After four grueling days of competition, three individuals now claim the title of Drill Sergeant of the Year and donned the special pistol belt that signifies their new role.
Staff Sgt. Jesus Tapia, from 3rd Battalion, 34th Infantry Regiment was named as the 2026 Army Training Center and Fort Jackson DSOY in a ceremony held April 23. The following day, the U.S. Army Drill Sergeant Academy announced Staff Sgt. Noel Berges as its active component DSOY and Sgt. 1st Class Michael Harrington as reserve component DSOY.
Each year, Fort Jackson and the Drill Sergeant Academy hold a competition to select DSOYs to represent the drill sergeants and drill sergeant leaders in their organizations, serving as liaisons to leadership on behalf of those that train future Soldiers and drill sergeants.
The competition is unique in the Army as it’s the only competition that is also a job application. The winners are not just awarded a special pistol belt, but they also change roles and for the next year will serve in a leadership capacity.
The competition is not about simply identifying who is the most physically fit or best marksman, but competitors are also judged on how well they can teach and instruct others.
“The best drill sergeants from across the entire installation, from each battalion, compete,” said Sgt. 1st Class Edgar Aguayo, the 2025 Fort Jackson Drill Sergeant of the Year and organizer of this year’s competition. “They are evaluated on how proficient they can be as an instructor, as a warfighter … they’re going to be evaluated to the standard on how they teach the trainees, how they conduct each exercise.”
The competition began with the Army Fitness Test and formal board, testing the competitors on their physical abilities and also their knowledge and ability to communicate.
The next day their warfighting skills were tested as they executed night-into-day land navigation, the Fit-to-Win obstacle course, and proved their proficiency with their weapon at the qualification range.
Day three consisted of a grueling battery of round robin testing, in which the competitors not only demonstrated mastery of warrior tasks and battle drills, but also had to instruct groups of trainees, conduct media interviews, and write essays, testing their mental resiliency. The competition concluded with a 12-mile ruck into a battle march and shoot event.
“Going back-to-back-to-back is probably the hardest thing, mentally draining,” Harrington said. “The easiest is the actually getting out there and doing the physical (tasks).”
During the award ceremony, the competitors were reminded that the competition is about more than identifying a winner. The competitors have had the opportunity to test themselves against the best of the best.
“When you compete … you’re not trying to break them, you’re trying to strike against them and grind away their weaknesses just as they grind away yours,” said Sgt. Maj. Melissa Solomon, this year’s keynote speaker. “While there can only be one winner, I speak from experience that you grew from this more than you can realize in this moment. The connections you made with the competitors are something you will depend on in the future and you should definitely leverage.”
For Tapia, the challenge of the competition was made even better by his fellow competitors.
“A lot of great competitors,” Tapia said, “Everybody came and worked … it’s always a good feeling when the people you’re competing with want it just as bad as you do.”
“I work hard, I drill hard, they know I’m passionate about it,” he said. “It’s a good moment, a good feeling, that shows that the hard work, the struggles, the patience, it pays off. (I’m) thankful for all the people that helped me out.”
The competition is not simply a once-a-year event - it is a daily process of striving to be the best you can be.
Solomon, senior enlisted leader for the Army Combined Arms Center, challenged the competitors, “As you return to your units, carry the spirit of competition with you. Iron does not sharpen iron in comfort. It requires heat, heavy strikes, and most importantly the grinding friction of another piece of hardened steel.”
“In the profession of arms, friction is not our enemy, it is an asset,” she said. “We do not have the luxury of dull blades in this era of warfare.” Our enemies are actively grinding their own steel. They are preparing for the day our forces will meet. We must ensure that when that day comes, our edge, it cuts deeper, it cuts faster and with absolute finality. Stay sharp, stay hungry and hold each other to the fire.”
The winners will begin preparing to represent the respective organizations in the Army’s Drill Sergeant of the Year competition held at Fort Jackson this September.