Soldiers from the states of Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas compete in the National Guard's Region 5 Best Warrior Competition held at the Robinson Maneuver Training Center in North Little Rock, Arkansas. Each state sent two competitors to participate in the event but only the two winners will move onto the National Best Warrior Competition. The winners of the 2018 Region 5 Best Warrior Competition are Staff Sgt. Lawrence Raymond of Bravo Company, Recruiting and Retention Command, Arkansas Army National Guard, and Spc. Devon Thompson, Charlie Troop, 1st Battalion, 134th Cavalry Regiment, 39th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Nebraska National Guard. (U.S. Army National Guard video by Spc. Stephen Wright, Spc. Victoria Eckert and Sgt. Charles Davis)

Captain Cibiles Ramirez-Rodriguez, state partnership program coordinator - Arkansas National Guard, interviews two Guatemalan soldiers, Kaibiles, Lieutenant Mario Perez and Corporal Jorge Vasquez, about their experience at the 2017 Arkansas National Guard Best Warrior Competition. The two competitors were invited to participate in the event through the Arkansas National Guard's state partnership program. Guatemala is Arkansas' partner nation under the program. The two Kaibiles explain their experience and appreciation for the opportunity to participate in the 2017 Arkansas National Guard's Best Warrior Competition.

Soldiers from various units in the Arkansas national guard, along with soldiers from the Guatemalan army's special forces (Kaibil), were tested on their ability to complete a ruck march with while in full gear and stop at various points along the way to perform certain army warrior tasks. Guatemala is Arkansas' partner nation in the state partnership program. The Arkansas National Guard regularly conducts training with the Guatemalan army. The soldiers flew from the airfield to a landing zone where they were dropped off to begin the ruck march. The competitors were limited to completing the ruck march in under 6 hours. Throughout the ruck march, soldiers were required to stop at multiple locations and complete various tasks to standard. They were timed at all events. Those times are figured into their overall ruck march time to determine the winner of the total ruck march. At the first station, soldiers were required to dawn protective gear. They then had to acquire a grenade launcher and run to a specified location where they were then required to shoot 4 targets with the 5 rounds provided. They rounds used were made of chalk and not explosive. After that station, competitors then ruck marched down to an area where they were required to successfully throw a hand grenade and disable enemy targets. They then assaulted an objective and cleared a building. They were expected to use modern army combatives tactics to subdue a hostile enemy. They then had to simulate rendering first aid to a fallen soldier and then evacuate that injured soldier. Competitors then ruck marched down to a range where they sighted in their m-4 rifle before rucking to other stations where they were required to successfully engage targets with the m249 squad automatic weapon (saw), the mk19 automatic grenade launcher and a pistol. After completing all of the required tasks, the competitors then completed the last leg of the ruck march.

Soldiers from various units in the Arkansas national guard, along with soldiers from the Guatemalan army's special forces (Kaibil), were tested on their ability to complete a ruck march with while in full gear and stop at various points along the way to perform certain army warrior tasks. Guatemala is Arkansas' partner nation in the state partnership program. The Arkansas National Guard regularly conducts training with the Guatemalan army. The soldiers flew from the airfield to a landing zone where they were dropped off to begin the ruck march. The competitors were limited to completing the ruck march in under 6 hours. Throughout the ruck march, soldiers were required to stop at multiple locations and complete various tasks to standard. They were timed at all events. Those times are figured into their overall ruck march time to determine the winner of the total ruck march. At the first station, soldiers were required to dawn protective gear. They then had to acquire a grenade launcher and run to a specified location where they were then required to shoot 4 targets with the 5 rounds provided. They rounds used were made of chalk and not explosive. After that station, competitors then ruck marched down to an area where they were required to successfully throw a hand grenade and disable enemy targets. They then assaulted an objective and cleared a building. They were expected to use modern army combatives tactics to subdue a hostile enemy. They then had to simulate rendering first aid to a fallen soldier and then evacuate that injured soldier. Competitors then ruck marched down to a range where they sighted in their m-4 rifle before rucking to other stations where they were required to successfully engage targets with the m249 squad automatic weapon (saw), the MK19 automatic grenade launcher and a pistol. After completing all of the required tasks, the competitors then completed the last leg of the ruck march. Soldiers then went to a swimming pool to compete against each other for time, and successful completion of, various Combat Water Survival Training (CWST) tasks.