About a dozen Ohio Army National Guard members, along with eight soldiers from Serbia and Hungary, will compete in the 2025 State Best Warrior Competition this week at Camp James A. Garfield Joint Military Training Center in Newton Falls.

The competition, scheduled for Thursday through Sunday, April 3-6, will test participants’ physical and mental abilities through a series of technical and tactical skills challenges. It also will determine the Ohio Army National Guard Noncommissioned Officer of the Year and Soldier of the Year.

The competition will include a combat pistol qualification, tactical stress shoot, and a grenade launcher challenge. 

The soldiers from the Serbian Armed Forces and Hungarian Defence Forces are participating as part of the Ohio National Guard’s involvement in the Defense Department’s State Partnership Program, which pairs U.S. states with partner nations for cooperative training and exchanges.

The top Ohio Army National Guard noncommissioned officer and soldier from the competition will advance to the regional Best Warrior Competition, scheduled for April 30-May 3 at Fort McCoy, Wisconsin.

During the events, residents and business owners near Camp James A. Garfield Joint Military Training Center may notice an increase in blast noise from the area.

Grenades will be used on Friday, April 4. Sounds from the explosions may be heard farther away than what occurs during normal operations. There will be intermittent explosions and gunfire at the installation during the annual training season, which typically runs through September.