FORT BRAGG, N.C. — The stakes are high, the days are long, and the margin for error is razor-thin.
Over the last four weeks, the U.S. Army Security Assistance Training Management Organization (SATMO) conducted an intensive training regimen at Fort Bragg designed to prepare Soldiers selected throughout Army Materiel Command (AMC) for the upcoming Army Best Squad Competition.
SATMO, a subordinate command of the U.S. Army Security Assistance Command (USASAC), is leveraging its world-class training expertise typically used to train and advise foreign military partners to sharpen the tactical edge of AMC’s own contenders.
"Our mission at SATMO is to deliver security assistance training worldwide and we are bringing that elite capability home to support AMC’s best," said Col. Thomas H. Melton, SATMO Commander. "Our goal is to push them to their limits, refine their capabilities, and ensure they walk into the Army Best Squad Competition as a highly lethal and cohesive team."
The month-long training is a carefully orchestrated progression of training events designed to test physical stamina, mental agility, and technical proficiency under extreme stress. The tactical curriculum includes advanced marksmanship and rigorous range operations, where the squad spends exhaustive hours mastering transition drills, firing under stress, and familiarization on multiple weapon systems.
Beyond technical weapon proficiency, training also included land navigation, radio training, tactical combat casualty care, and battle drills. Through repeated iterations of training the Soldiers honed their ability to shoot, move, and communicate as a synchronized unit, transforming individual skills into collective lethality.
The Army Best Squad Competition is unique because it measures the collective capability, trust, and synergy of a five-Soldier team. "The physical events are demanding, but mental stress is where real growth happens," noted Master Sgt. Eric Janson, the lead trainer. "When you are sleep-deprived, physically exhausted, and faced with a complex tactical problem, that is when true leadership and teamwork emerge. We are not just building fit Soldiers; we are building an unbreakable brotherhood that can compete with the best."
With SATMO’s expert trainers guiding their path, the Soldiers of AMC are transforming from a group of elite individuals into a lethal, unified squad ready to compete on the Army stage.
“We had some very experienced instructors that did a great job preparing us to work as a team. SATMO really challenged us to sharpen up our fundamentals, build cohesion and adapt quickly during our training, said Staff Sgt. Ethen O’Dell, AMC Best Squad leader. “We look forward to using what we learned at the competition and representing our organization to the best of our ability.”
The rigorous preparation delivered by SATMO underscores AMC’s commitment to warfighter readiness, lethality, and team cohesion across its global enterprise. With the curriculum complete and their collective capabilities honed to a sharp edge, the AMC Best Squad stands fully equipped to represent the command with distinction on the Army's premier tactical stage.
The 2026 Army Best Squad Competition takes place Sept. 11-19 at Fort Benning, Georgia. For more information, visit https://www.army.mil/bestsquad