7 soldiers from Fort Indiantown Gap selected for international competition

Seven Pennsylvania Army National Guard soldiers have earned their place in a best squad competition scheduled for March 2026 in Lithuania.

Tryouts began at 5 a.m. on Oct. 22 at Fort Indiantown Gap. Soldiers completed five demanding events over 14 hours with minimal downtime between them, according to a release by Sgt. 1st Class Shane Smith.

“Morale was high; everyone was lighthearted but determined,” said Sgt. 1st Class Paul Almquist, a candidate for the squad. “Everybody was super competitive and strived to give it their all while also pushing one another.”

The day’s trials included an army combat fitness test, a nine-event obstacle course, a ranger physical assessment, a land navigation challenge with 15 points across mountainous terrain, and a six-mile, 35-pound ruck march. The ranger physical assessment required carrying 40-pound kettlebells and dragging a 180-pound SKEDCO rescue system for 100 meters, and running multiple miles on a winding, uneven trail while carrying a sandbag.

“We put in nearly 20 miles over the course of the day,” said Sgt. 1st Class Erich Friedlein, another tryout competitor. “This tryout was designed so that these demanding events were stacked back-to-back. You need to sustain high levels of physical exertion and mental fortitude to perform well across the board.”

The endurance required to excel in the tryouts and upcoming competition also prepares soldiers for real-world missions and challenging operational environments, Smith said in the release.

“It proves you’re able to put in long hours across multiple days while remaining physically and mentally sound enough to function during intense combat operations,” Friedlein said.

All seven soldiers who tried out have been selected to compete, with Almquist named team captain and Friedlein acting as co-captain. The squad plans to meet weekly leading up to the competition in Lithuania to conduct physical training and refine core warrior tasks, the release said.