CAMP ATTERBURY — Under the cover of darkness and across grueling terrain, the Indiana National Guard’s most elite soldiers pushed their physical and mental limits this past weekend during the 2026 Best Warrior Competition.
The three-day event, held at the Camp Atterbury training site near Edinburgh, tested 17 Indiana Guardsmen alongside two service members from the Republic of Slovakia. The inclusion of Slovakian troops highlights a 33-year bond between Indiana and Slovakia through the National Guard State Partnership Program, which has paired the two nations since the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1993.
The Winners
At the conclusion of the rigorous schedule, two Hoosiers emerged at the top of their respective categories:
- Noncommissioned Officer of the Year: Sgt. Brendan Bartlett, 127th Cyber Protection Battalion
- Soldier of the Year: Specialist Caleb Chambers, 1st Battalion, 151st Infantry Regiment
Sgt. Bartlett represents a modern evolution of the “warrior” as a member of Indiana’s cyber protection unit, which focuses on defending critical infrastructure and military networks from digital attacks. Specialist Chambers hails from a unit with a storied history dating back to the War of 1812, famously known as the “Indiana Rangers.”
72 Hours of High-Intensity Testing
The competition is designed to mirror the chaos and physical demand of real-world combat. The service members were evaluated on a relentless circuit of events:
- Combat Readiness: M4 rifle and M17 pistol qualifications, including “mystery events” where soldiers had to assemble weapons in total darkness.
- Physical Stamina: The Army Combat Fitness Test, an obstacle course, and a grueling 8-mile ruck march while carrying heavy gear.
- Technical Skill: Day and night land navigation, medical evacuation (MEDEVAC) exercises, and a formal board interview to test military bearing and knowledge.
The Road Ahead
Bartlett and Chambers have earned more than just bragging rights; they will now prepare to represent Indiana at the Region IV Best Warrior Competition later this spring. If successful there, they will move on to the national stage.
Since its inception, the partnership between Indiana and Slovakia has evolved from simple training exchanges to side-by-side deployments in Afghanistan. Events like the Best Warrior Competition serve to maintain that interoperability, ensuring that, whether in a digital theater or on a physical battlefield, both forces remain “Wide Awake”—the long-standing motto of the 151st Infantry.
