Prosperity Among Competition

Regional Training Institute, N.H. -- A 2 a.m. early morning alarm fills the corridor of the male barracks. Faint grunts and the zippers of sleeping bags can be heard as participants of the Best Warrior Competition awaken for their next evolution.

The competition is an annual collaborative effort from within the Department of Defense and the U.S. partner nations to test the physical, mental, and spiritual prowess of each competitor. Sgt. Ryan Goyette, a human resource noncommissioned officer with the 197th Field Artillery Brigade, Headquarters Headquarters Battery, believes that it isn’t solely about the competition.

“I didn’t think about the competition,” Goyette said. “Right away, I started noticing that everyone was friendly, and we were all kind of in it together.”

Although participants are competing against one another, Goyette believes it is more about the collective effort of everyone involved.

“You want others to succeed just as much as yourself,” he said. “Putting yourself before others are not the right mindset to have.”

The title for Best Warrior isn’t just restricted to the U.S. Army. This year included service members from the U.S. Air Force and Coast Guard, Canada, and El Salvador.

“Having sister-services here and other nations, it’s been fun,” Goyette said. “Learning about their militaries and how they function it’s been really interesting.”

To compete, each participant is required to have a sponsor who helps prepare them for each portion of the event. Staff Sgt. David Day, the S-1 section sergeant with the 197th FAB HHB, is one.

Day stated that the competition for this year’s event is quite fierce. Although participants are competing against one another, they still sit down to talk and give each other help.

One of the toughest events includes an examination board where competitors stand in front of their leadership and drill on various military-related topics.

“Overall, the questions on the board were very hard, very obscure,” Goyette said. “Maybe that was their goal, but I was humble and answered everything honestly.”

The board questions can stifle even the most experienced competitors, but that is how the competition is designed. Although Goyette may struggle with a few questions, Day believes otherwise.

“I was right behind him sitting down.” Day said. “For what he prepared and how much studying he did over the past couple of months, I think he did a great job.”