After five days of grueling events, on 18AUG2023 U.S. Army Forces Command (ForsCom) announced the winner of its Best Squad competition; Idaho Army National Guard’s 116th Cavalry Brigade Combat Team (‘Snake River Brigade’)!

Idaho Army National Guard’s Specialist Christian Brown takes the lead during the 12-mile Ruck March, 18AUG2023. U.S. Army photo by Specialist Jaidon Novinska.

The winning squad is specifically from Idaho’s 2nd-116th Cavalry Regiment, made up of Staff Sergeant Joshua Hutchings, Sergeant Douglas Kenz-Woods, Specialist Evan Skaug, Specialist David Hann, and Specialist Christian Brown.  They are now prepping for the overall U.S. Army Best Squad Competition, in September 2023.

ForsCom Command Sergeant Major Todd Sim, congratulates the Squad from the ‘Snake River Brigade’, during a ceremony on Fort Campbell, Kentucky. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sergeant Elizabeth Rundell, 18AUG2023.

Jumping out of a perfectly good Cold War era CH-47, with no parachute! U.S. Army video (edited by me to show mainly Idaho’s Squad number 8) of the Helocast test near Dover, Tennessee, 15AUG2023:

U.S. Army video by Specialist Mason Nichols, showing the ForsCom Best Squad Fortitude Fitness Test (it should be called the Ma-Duce Fitness Test, ’cause your squad runs carrying more than a hundred pounds of machinegun), 16AUG2023:

The big win for Idaho came just a couple of weeks after winning U.S. Army Central’s (ArCent) Best Squad competition (IDAHO SNAKE RIVER SQUAD; ‘PATTON’S OWN’ CHOSEN ONES!).