Mississippi National Guard crowns winner in recent competition

(The following is a press release from the Mississippi National Guard.)

JACKSON, Miss. – The Mississippi National Guard is proud to announce the winners of the 2018 Best Warrior Competition that was held February 26 to March 1, 2018, at the Camp McCain Training Center near Elliott, Mississippi.

The title of Soldier of the Year was awarded to Purvis native Spc. Darrell Washington of the 3656th Maintenance Company, 298th Support Battalion, 184th Sustainment Command headquartered in Laurel. The title of Noncommissioned Officer of the Year was awarded for the first time to an Air National Guardsman - Pass Christian native Tech. Sgt. Joshua Parker of Gulfport's Combat Readiness Training Center - Battlefield Airman Center. Both were honored Saturday, March 3, 2018, at the National Guard Association of Mississippi’s annual noncommissioned officer's convention at the Hilton in Jackson. Washington, a wheeled vehicle mechanic at the Maneuver Area Training Equipment Site at the Camp Shelby Joint Forces Training Center, will now advance to the regional Army National Guard Best Warrior Competition in Tennessee. If he wins at the regional level, he will compete at the national level. Parker is a member of the security forces in his unit at the CRTC-BAC and works as a state trooper for the Mississippi Highway Patrol. Since Parker is a member of the Mississippi Air National Guard, he will not advance to compete in the regional Army competition. Please visit our unit page on the Defense Visual Information Distribution System at https://www.dvidshub.net/unit/JFHQ-M for photos and video products from the Best Warrior Competition. To register for an account, visit https://www.dvidshub.net/member/registration and sign up as a member of the media.