The Virginia National Guard’s Staff Sgt. Dan Abbott and the West Virginia National Guard’s Spc. Bret Williams take top honors after the five-day Army National Guard Region II Best Warrior Competition May 19, 2023, at Fort Barfoot, Virginia. Abbott, a 12N horizontal construction engineer assigned to Fort Barfoot, was named Region II NCO of the Year, and Williams, a 12W carpentry and masonry specialist assigned to the 922nd Engineer Detachment, was named Region II Soldier of the Year. The West Virginia National Guard’s Staff Sgt. Avery Liller and the Pennsylvania National Guard’s Spc. Nicolas Shaffer were named runners-up in their respective categories. Eleven ARNG NCOs and Soldiers representing Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, West Virginia, Pennsylvania and the District of Columbia participated in the five-day competition, which included a written exam, 13-mile ruck march, Army Warrior Tasks, day and night land navigation, confidence course, combat water survival test and timed multi-weapon challenge. See more photos of the competition at https://ngpa.us/25356.