Sweat drips from U.S. Army Spc. Jaden Hughes’ brow as he races down a beaten path on a rural military reservation in Maryland. He’s over 800 miles from home, the humidity and heat intensifying as the sun rises – but he’s not alone. Thirteen other competitors hailing from National Guard organizations across the United States march with him, and a familiar face waits at the finish line.
Hughes and his fellow guardsmen enter day two of the Army National Guard’s 2025 National Best Warrior Competition by taking on the Medal of Honor Run: a five-mile trek through rolling terrain consisting of five stations that pay homage to the daring and demanding missions that Maryland’s historic Medal of Honor recipients endured. By the fifth station, the physical exhaustion and heat are taking their toll.
But as Hughes takes hold of the Alabama state flag and runs it to the finish line, a familiar face is there, cheering and shouting words of encouragement: the Alabama Army National Guard’s (ALARNG) State Command Sergeant Major, Command Sgt. Maj. John Elmore.
“Unity goes from the top down and the bottom up,” said Spc. Hughes, a supply specialist in the ALARNG 731st Combat Sustainment Support Company. “When you see great leaders out here supporting younger soldiers fighting and putting in the effort … it gives you that little bit of extra push.”
The 2025 National Best Warrior Competition, hosted by the Maryland National Guard, is an annual event that unites soldiers and noncommissioned officers from seven regions across the United States. Competitors face a demanding series of physical and mental challenges designed to test their military expertise, resilience, and dedication to the warrior ethos for the opportunity to advance to the Best Squad Competition.
“All of this (Best Warrior Competition) is about building teams, building unity, building tomorrow’s soldiers and leaders,” Command Sgt. Maj. Elmore said. “Spc. Hughes is building lifelong friendships that he’s going to have 20 years from now. They’re going to look back at this and they’re going to have that story that they’re going to be able to tell.”
The competition, which began on Monday, July 14, concluded on Friday, July 18, with a final ceremony where the National Soldier of the Year and Noncommissioned Officer of the Year were announced.
Courtesy of Alabama News Center
