APRIL 10, 2026 — Senior Enlisted Advisor John T. Raines III, the principal advisor to the chief of the National Guard Bureau, visited the New York Army National Guard’s 2026 Best Warrior Competition, where two Soldiers from Buffalo’s 105th Military Police Company emerged as winners.
Spc. Trevor Lock took first place in the junior enlisted Soldier category, while Staff Sgt. Derek Tucker won the noncommissioned officer contest.
Nine Soldiers took part in the March 23–26 event, which was run by the 106th Regional Training Institute.
The competition evaluated Soldiers in physically and mentally demanding events designed to replicate real-world warfighting conditions, according to New York Army National Guard Command Sgt. Maj. Leylan Jones.
“I learned a lot from this Best Warrior Competition,” Tucker said. “It opened me up to opportunities to learn and train on things that I haven’t before.”
Lock said events like the Best Warrior Competition help build leaders.
“The next generation of leaders can improve from this, not just compete in it,” Lock said. “You can build off this and get a lot of experience with different weapons and courses and gain different knowledge.”
Second place in the NCO category went to Staff Sgt. Justin Jablanski, a combat engineer with the 27th Infantry Brigade Combat Team.
Spc. Jerry Remy, an infantryman with the 108th Infantry Battalion, finished second in the junior enlisted category.
Lock and Tucker will now compete in the Northeast Regional Competition at Camp Fogarty, Rhode Island, in June for the chance to advance to the National Guard Best Warrior Competition.
Throughout the event, Soldiers navigated situational training exercise lanes, completed land navigation and were tested on their physical fitness through the Expert Physical Fitness Assessment and the Army Fitness Test.
They also completed a written exam, appeared before a board of senior NCOs in their Class A uniforms, conducted a medical skills test and participated in a mystery event — in this case, the air assault obstacle course.
The final challenge was a 12-mile ruck march. Competitors were dropped off by bus at Franklin D. Roosevelt State Park in Yorktown Heights, where they conducted their timed march.
The Soldiers also had the opportunity to earn the German Armed Forces Badge for Military Proficiency. Earning the badge involves a fitness test, a 100-meter swim in uniform and demonstrating proficiency in first aid and pistol use.
Raines praised all the competitors during the contest awards dinner.
“This competition is not just about who is the fastest, the strongest or even the most technically proficient,” Raines said. “It is about who can embody the profession of arms at its highest level.”
Raines’ visit demonstrated the importance of the event and the caliber of the Soldiers competing, Jones said.
By Sgt. Richelle Cruickshank