By Vernishia R. Vaughn
FORT BENNING, Ga. – Soldiers from Medical Readiness Command, East, earned the title of Army Medicine’s best squad after completing a multi-day competition that tested far more than individual strength and technical skill.
The MRC-East team won the 2026 Army Direct Reporting Unit Team 12 Best Squad Competition after demonstrating its ability to communicate, adapt and complete missions as a cohesive team in physically and mentally challenging environments.
The winning squad members are:
The competition reflects Army Medicine’s continued shift from recognizing individual achievement to evaluating how well Soldiers work together under pressure.
Operating under the theme, “"Strength in the Squad: Forging Cohesive, Lethal, and Survivable Medical Teams," the event assessed the squad’s physical readiness, tactical proficiency, technical knowledge and ability to make decisions as a team.
For Saleh, one of the squad’s greatest challenges was preparing for training platforms and equipment the team didn’t regularly have access to before the competition.
“We didn’t have access to certain weapon systems, radio platforms or some of the training we encountered,” Saleh said. “But the team pulled through. They’re resilient, smart and capable. They learned on the fly, adapted and continued moving forward. I couldn’t be more proud of them.”
The competition placed squads in situations that required each Soldier to contribute different skills. Success depended on more than one person performing well. Team members had to recognize each other’s strengths, communicate clearly and adjust when conditions changed.
That team-based approach is central to the evolution of Army Medicine’s Best Squad Competition.
Previously top performers were identified through the individual-based Best Warrior Competition, which later evolved into the Best Leader Competition by pairing enlisted Soldiers with officers. The current competition removes the officer role and places the focus on a five-Soldier enlisted squad.
Each team includes a senior noncommissioned officer, a junior NCO and three junior enlisted Soldiers. Together, they participate in and complete events designed to mirror the physical, tactical and technical demands Soldiers may face in an operational environment.
The competition included physical readiness events, obstacle courses, ruck marches, weapons training, land navigation, combat water survival, warrior tasks and battle drills, and chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear testing.
Throughout the competition, Saleh’s teammates said his leadership helped keep the squad focused and brought them closer together.
“We couldn’t have done it without him,” Diaz said. “He was the heart and soul of the team, and I think he brought us all closer together.”
Garcia said Saleh’s preparation helped the team approach each event with purpose.
“He kept us prepared every day and allowed us to plan ahead,” Garcia said.
Although the squad earned the MEDCOM title, Coffey said the victory also gave the team a clearer picture of where it must continue to improve.
“As the surgeon general said, this is our battle lab,” Coffey said. “We won this competition, but now it’s time to continue working on ourselves and improving as a team so we come back stronger and better for the All-Army competition.”
The MRC-East squad will now begin follow-on training to represent Army Medicine at the 2026 U.S. Army Best Squad Competition.
The next level will bring together squads from across the Army and place the MRC-East Soldiers against teams with a wide range of operational experience and resources. Saleh said his squad understands the work ahead and is ready for it.
“We’re absolutely going to win, and we’re definitely ready for the next level,” Saleh said. “We’ll keep pushing to make sure we do.”
For the members of MRC-East, the win represents more than a trophy or title. It reflects the trust the Soldiers built, the challenges they worked through and their ability to rely on one another when preparation alone was not enough.
That is the purpose behind Army Medicine’s Best Squad Competition: building teams that can think, move and respond together when the mission demands it.