Soldiers representing the Virginia Army National Guard’s Recruiting and Retention Battalion and the 116th Mobile Brigade Combat Team took top honors at the 2026 VaARNG Best Warrior Competition March 15, 2026, at Fort Pickett, Virginia. Staff Sgt. Frederick Newton, assigned to VaARNG’s R&R Battalion, was named Noncommissioned Officer of the Year, and Spc. Javan Cooper, assigned to the 116th MBCT, was named Soldier of the Year. The pair bested their peers over five days of intense competition, testing their stamina, strength, knowledge and skills. Newton and Cooper will go on to represent Virginia at the Region II Best Warrior Competition at Camp Dawson, West Virginia, later this year.