Soldiers compete for top honors in 20th CBRNE Command Best Warrior, Best Squad competition

ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. – Soldiers from the U.S. Department of Defense’s premier all hazards command came together from around the nation to compete for top honors in the Best Warrior and Best Squad Competition, July 10 – 14.

The 20th Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosives (CBRNE) Command held the competition on Fort Indiantown Gap, Pennsylvania, and Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland.

The squad from the 48th Chemical Brigade took first place in the 20th CBRNE Command Best Squad competition. The 52nd Ordnance Group (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) Group team was the runner-up in the squad competition.

Spc. Logan C. Gardiner from 52nd EOD Group earned Best Soldier, Sgt. Micah K. Miller from the 52nd EOD Group earned best noncommissioned officer and Capt. John P. Lintner from the 48th Chemical Brigade earned best officer in the competition.

Following changes announced by the U.S. Army last year, the competition was the inaugural 20th CBRNE Command Best Warrior and Best Squad competition.

Teams from the 20th CBRNE Command Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 71st EOD Group, 52nd EOD Group and 48th Chemical Brigade participated in the competition.

Headquartered on Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, the 20th CBRNE Command is home to 75 percent of the Active Duty U.S. Army’s Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear (CBRN) specialists and Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) units, as well as the 1st Area Medical Laboratory, CBRNE Analytical and Remediation Activity, five Weapons of Mass Destruction Coordination Teams and three Nuclear Disablement Teams.

From 19 bases in 16 states, Soldiers and U.S. Army civilians from the 20th CBRNE Command take on the world’s most dangerous hazards in support of joint, interagency and allied operations.

The 20th CBRNE Command team included Sgt. 1st Class German Sanchez from Fort Worth, Texas; Sgt. Davon L. Butler from Washington, D.C.; Cpl. Andrew J. Petrakis from Deltona, Florida; Spc. Javier Garcia from San Antonio; and Pfc. Jonas Lincoln from Spanish Town, Jamaica.

The Fort Hood, Texas-headquartered 48th Chemical Brigade is the only U.S. Army Chemical Brigade and commands four battalions and 15 companies with units stationed on nine installations in eight states.

The 48th Chemical Brigade was represented by Capt. John P. Lintner from Fort Stewart, Georgia; Chief Warrant Officer 2 Donjuan T. Brown from Hinesville, Georgia; Staff Sgt. Ashley S. Froberg from Spring Lake, New York; Sgt. William Corona from Fort Campbell, Kentucky; Spc. Carl S. Ocupe from Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington; Spc. Kyle M. Romer from Fort Stewart, Georgia; and Pfc. Dayne A. Selph from Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

The 52nd EOD Group is headquartered on Fort Campbell, Kentucky, and commands two battalions and 14 companies on six installations in five states.

The 52nd EOD Group team was 1st Lt. Daniel J. Hall from Delta, Pennsylvania; Sgt. Micah K. Miller from Boise, Idaho; Sgt. Nicholas J. Mraz from Sacramento, California; Spc. Logan C. Gardiner from Yuba City, Arizona; Spc. Noe S. Alvarado from Garden Grove, California; and Spc. Gabriel R. Weatherspoon from Cincinnati, Ohio.

The Fort Carson, Colorado-headquartered 71st EOD Group commands three battalions and 18 companies on 11 installations in nine states.

The 71st EOD Group team was Staff Sgt. Bryce T. Granger from Charlotte, North Carolina; Sgt. Hunter C. Blair from Springfield, Missouri; Spc. Trevor S. Madden from Sonora, California; Spc. Andrew J. Webb from Phoenix and Spc. Madison E. Shines from Hampton, Connecticut.

Among other challenges, the Best Warrior and Best Squad competition included an Army Combat Fitness Test, obstacle course, leader reaction course, M4 qualification, stress shoot, land navigation and an 8-mile ruck march.

The 20th CBRNE Command winners will participate in the U.S. Army Forces Command competition in August.

Command Sgt. Maj. Jorge Arzabala, the 20th CBRNE Command senior enlisted leader, said the competition gave the Soldiers a chance to hone their warrior skills.

“This year’s Best Warrior and Best Squad competition focused on the fundamentals, the universal tasks that every Soldier should have mastered,” said Arzabala, a 23-year U.S. Army veteran from El Paso, Texas.

Arzabala said the Soldiers excelled in the week-long competition, regardless of their military occupational specialty.

“They all have one thing in common and that is our profession – our warrior ethos,” said Arzabala. “After this week, I know that we have warriors in our ranks.”