Virginia National Guard Soldiers representing the Virginia Beach-based 329th Regional Support Group and Maneuver Training Center Fort Pickett claim top honors at the 2023 Virginia Army National Guard Best Warrior Competition March 19, 2023, at Fort Pickett, Virginia. The 329th’s Spc. Jared Bergman won Soldier of the Year, while MTC’s Staff Sgt. Dan Abbott was named Noncommissioned Officer of the Year. Pfc. Mercer Love and Staff Sgt. Jake Harvey, both assigned to the Winchester-based 3rd Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, were named runners-up. Warrant Officers Saidamir Isramov and Khamza Sharifov, soldiers from the Republic of Tajikistan participating in the BWC in support of the Department of Defense’s State Partnership Program, and their interpreter Khurshed Zakharov were also recognized during the awards ceremony. The four-day event included a swim event, Army Warrior Tasks, a written exam, a physical fitness challenge, an obstacle course, land navigation, a ruck march, a three-gun event and an appearance board. Bergman and Abbott will represent the VNG at the regional-level competition later in 2023. Read more about SPP at https://ngpa.us/24494.