Lindberg wins ‘Best Warrior’

Spc. Ryan Lindberg of Jamestown earned top marks in the National Guard Best Warrior Competition recently.

Approximately 300,000 Army National Guard soldiers competed in the event at Fort Benning, Ga., with separate categories for enlisted guards and noncommissioned officers.

“I don’t think (winning nationals has) set in yet, but it’s definitely an honor being out there, able to represent North Dakota and my unit, because my unit’s never won the national level before,” Lindberg said.

Lindberg, a combat engineer for the 817th Engineer Company (Sapper), Jamestown, will go on to the final level of the Best Warrior Competition Oct. 2 in Fort Lee, Va., where he will face top soldiers of the U.S. Army.

In the Best Warrior contest, soldiers first compete at the company level, with winners then proceeding successively to the brigade, state, regional and finally national levels. After the state level, the winners of the Army National Guard’s competition face off against the winners of the Army’s contest.

To achieve his high marks, Lindberg had to answer questions about the Army in front of a formal board and excel at physical challenges, such as shooting, navigating and fitness tests. He also had to complete a written test and write an essay.

“The amount of studying that went into it was just absurd,” Lindberg said, explaining he went through the 328-page study guide at least 20 or 25 times before the national competition.

Lindberg, a Jamestown High School graduate, is currently studying at North Dakota State University, Fargo, and will take a break to study his schoolwork before he begins preparing for the year’s final Best Warrior contest. Lindberg is majoring in construction management and engineering.

“About three weeks prior to the competition is when I’m going to start restudying this stuff,” Lindberg said. “I need a break from it, after so long studying the same stuff.”

Sun reporter Kari Lucin can be reached at 701-952-8453

or by email at klucin@jamestownsun.com

Tags: national guard, news, military, award