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CAMP HUMPHREYS, South Korea — Eighth Army wrapped a five-day Best Squad Competition on May 8 after a week of continuous, high-intensity events spread across Camp Humphreys, Camp Casey, and the Rodriguez Live Fire Complex. The team from the 4th Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment claimed the title and will represent the “Pacific Victors” at the U.S. Army Pacific Best Squad Competition at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, with a chance to advance to the Department of the Army level.
The competition brought together top squads from across the command’s major subordinate units: the 2nd Infantry Division, 19th Expeditionary Sustainment Command, 1st Signal Brigade, 35th Air Defense Artillery Brigade, 65th Medical Brigade, 501st Military Intelligence Brigade, and Eighth Army Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion. Over five days, Soldiers were evaluated on physical and mental endurance, tactical proficiency, and teamwork through demanding, realistic operational scenarios run around the clock.
Master Sgt. John Moore, the event’s lead planner, said the 2026 iteration was significantly modernized to mirror sustained tactical operations. Organizers integrated miles of movement to test endurance and overhauled board processes to prioritize on-demand tactical knowledge under extreme duress. “It’s about lethality and readiness at the lowest level,” said Moore. “The squad is the foundation of the Army; if your squads can’t shoot, move, and communicate under pressure, your higher echelons are just moving icons on a map. This competition forces teams to be excellent at the basics collectively, building that raw esprit de corps and professional pride that you only get when you’re rucking miles of pain alongside your brothers and sisters-in-arms.”
Events spanned the Army Fitness Test, an Air Assault Confidence and Obstacle Course, and a Modified Expert Physical Fitness Assessment, alongside weapons lanes and a stress shoot to measure marksmanship under pressure. Day and night land navigation, new battle drills, and unscripted force-on-force lanes emphasized adaptability against a dynamic enemy rather than rote memorization. Squads also executed medical and CBRN lanes, a Combat Water Survival Test, and a six-mile foot march. The physical grind peaked on Day 4 with a mystery event: a six-mile run in plate carriers punctuated by additional challenges along the route.
Beyond internal standards, organizers framed the week as a signal of commitment to the Indo-Pacific. While U.S. forces do not fight alone on the peninsula, the presence and performance of elite small units underscored enduring readiness and small-unit excellence with partners, a factor viewed as vital to deterring aggression and meeting “Fight Tonight” demands.
Ultimately, Moore said cohesion proved decisive. “You can have the fastest runner or the sharpest marksman, but they will lose every time to a team that operates as one. Physical fitness is merely the baseline, the non-negotiable price of admission every Soldier must pay,” he said. “The winning edge belongs to the five Soldiers who act as a single, disciplined squad. When one person falters, the squad doesn’t skip a beat; they shoulder the load. The squad that stands in the winner’s circle this year will be the one that mastered the fluid art of teamwork and proved that true lethality is found in cohesion.”
The competition closed with an awards ceremony at the Noncommissioned Officer Academy on May 8. The winning squad—Staff Sgt. Sergio Lopez, Sgt. Derek White, Cpl. Matthew Grams, Spc. Ashton Sandlin, and Spc. Galinato Dragotta—will advance to Joint Base Lewis-McChord for the USARPAC competition.
Imagery and video from the competition can be found at: https://www.dvidshub.net/search/?view=grid&sort=publishdate&q=Eighth+Army+Best+Squad+Competition
