A team of Virginia National Guard Soldiers assigned to the Lynchburg-based 1st Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team compete in the HÄYHÄ Finnish Sniper Competition Sept. 5 - 7, 2025, in Pahkajärvi, Finland. The snipers’ participation in the competition was in support of the Department of Defense’s State Partnership Program, in which Virginia and Finland have been formal partners since 2024. The HÄYHÄ competition is named for legendary World War II Finnish sniper Simo Häyhä. The international event, hosted by organizations including the Finnish Sniper Guild and the National Defense Training Association, consists of multiple days of different shooting and soldiering challenges specifically designed for snipers.