Courtesy Photo | Spc. Chris Tiznado of the 240th Engineer Co. is set for the Region VII Best Warrior...... read more read more
By Master Sgt. Erick Studenicka
Nevada Army Guard
CARSON CITY -- After already exceling in an international Best Warrior competition, the Nevada Army Guard’s entrants in the Region VII Best Warrior event this week – Sgt. Tobin Mayotte (150th Maintenance Co.) and Spc. Christopher Tiznado (240th Engineer Co.) – promise to be very competitive in the regional event that includes Soldiers from eight states and territories and kicks off Monday in San Luis Obispo, Calif.
Mayotte, 22, of Carson City, and Tiznado, 24, of Las Vegas, earned the right to represent Nevada in the regionals by placing first in the state Best Warrior contest in April. That event included an international field as Soldiers from Fiji and Tonga (two of Nevada’s partners in the State Partnership Program) competed alongside Nevada Soldiers. Corporal Nemani Serea from Fiji won the overall title but Mayotte won the Nevada Guard Non-commissioned Officer division and Tiznado won the Nevada Soldier division and a ticket to central California for the regional competition.
By winning their respective divisions at the state level, Mayotte is the 2024 Nevada Guard “NCO of the Year” and Tiznado is the “Soldier of the Year.”
The Army’s Best Warrior Competition tests Soldiers’ physical and mental abilities in a wide range of events, usually including the Army Combat Fitness Test, Warrior tasks, rifle and pistol marksmanship, military boards – and inevitably a long-distance ruck march. The winner of the regional competition will advance to the Army National Guard Best Warrior contest this summer.
Mayotte, a small arms repairer in the 150th, has an extensive infantry background and should do well in the physical fitness and marksmanship events. He just joined the Nevada Army Guard in January after four years of active duty service with the 25th Infantry Division based at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii. Mayotte, a native of Gardnerville, Nev., joined the 25 ID just weeks after graduating from Douglas High School.
Mayotte scored 582 points on his fitness test last month and was the top Nevada Soldier in the 12-mile ruck march. He also has expert badges in both the M4 rifle and M17 pistol.
“I’m going to represent the state as best as I can and give it all my heart and soul,” said Mayotte, who has been fitting in training sessions while working as a solar panel installer for the Forever Freedom company based in Reno. “It was very cool to compete alongside the Fijian and Tongan Soldiers at the state level, but I really do expect the regional event to be a huge step up in competitiveness.”
Tiznado, a heavy vehicle driver in the 240th, should also do well in the physical fitness events and be among the leaders in land navigation. He scored a 566 on his physical fitness test at the state event and said his excellent attention to detail should help in land nav and on the military boards.
Tiznado, a 2018 graduate of Del Sol Academy, has been in the Nevada Army Guard for three years but this was his first time competing in the Best Warrior competition. He is a union carpenter and also studies architecture at the University.
“The regionals will be a challenge for sure – you just have to realize you will have your ups and downs and just continue to do the best you can,” Tiznado said.
Nevada’s best Best Warrior season occurred in 2017, when Spc. Grant Reimers and Sgt. Oswald Sanchez swept both divisions at the Region VII contest which coincidentally was also hosted by the California Army Guard at Camp San Luis Obispo. Reimers went on to win the nationwide Army National Guard event and eventually placed second in the entire Army.
The Region VII Best Warrior contest will run through May 10. Results will be posted as soon as they are available.
| Date Taken: | 05.05.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 05.05.2024 16:30 |
| Story ID: | 470361 |
| Location: | CARSON CITY, NV, US |
| Web Views: | 48 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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Army National Guard
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