2026 Competition Winners

Congratulations to the winners of the 2026 Best Squad Competition! The competition recognizes Soldiers who demonstrate commitment to the Army values, embody the warrior ethos and represent the force of the future. The Army's top Soldiers and noncommissioned officers compete at locations around the world during this annual competition. NCOs and Soldiers first compete in subordinate competitions, and then the finalists compete for the titles Soldier of the Year and Noncommissioned Officer of the Year service wide in September and October.

Warriors for Soldier of the Year include the ranks of private through specialist, and Warriors for NCO of the Year include ranks corporal through sergeant first class. All Army Active Duty, National Guard and Reserve component Soldiers are eligible to compete.