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BLUFFDALE — With the nicer weather, there were probably a few walks and races going on in Utah this weekend — but nothing like the one at Camp Williams Saturday.
The Army National Guard Best Warrior Competition is one of the toughest out there, and participants have to be a member of the Guard.
“They leave it all on the table here. They give it their all, 100 percent,” said Utah National Guard Sgt. Major Mike Miller.
Because the competition is so demanding — with physical and mental challenges lasting three days — only 24 soldiers were participating this weekend.
“All the compentencies that require a soldier down range, we’re trying to duplicate that in this environment,” Miller said.
Some of the events include fitness tests, land navigation, a shooting competition, and what Guard officials describe as "warrior tasks."
Whoever becomes Utah's best soldier will represent Utah at the upcoming regional competition in Hawaii. The winner then goes to the national competition, in which Utah has done well in the past.
“We live in a world, we believe, where everybody doesn’t get a trophy. We recognize those who excel,” said Gen. Jefferson Burton, of the Utah Army National Guard.
While the competition is fun for the soldiers, it's also a big part of their overall training.
“Ninety-nine percent of what we do in the military is training to prepare for the inevitability of war,” Burton said. “It’s something we don’t desire to do, but we have to be ready for it when it happens.”
The awards ceremony is Sunday, where Utah’s representative to the regional competition will be announced. The national competition will be held in June right here at Camp Williams.
