Competitors, staff, and senior leaders stand for a group photo during the Maryland National Guard Best Warrior Competition on April 9, 2024, at Martin State Air National Guard Base, in Middle River, Maryland. The competition is a multi-day marathon of mental and physical trials, pushing these elite service members to their limits. This year’s competition is conducted all throughout Maryland. Open to junior enlisted, noncommissioned officers and commissioned officers of the Maryland Air and Army National Guard, the competition also welcomes servicemembers from state partner nations Bosnia and Herzegovina and Estonia. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. Allen Griffith)