White Plains Resident Wins 'Best Warrior Competition'

WHITE PLAINS, NY — A White Plains resident won the New York Army National Guard “Best Warrior Competition” for the fourth time.

Sgt. Mitchell Stogel, who is pursuing an architecture degree at New York Institute of Technology, has served in the Guard for six years.

He is a veteran of the war in Afghanistan and is one of two victors in the Guard’s annual Best Warrior Competition.

Stogel was named winner in the non-commissioned officer category of the competition.

He is a member of Headquarters Company of the 1st Battalion 69th Infantry, based at the Lexington Avenue Armory in New York.

The four-day event tests soldiers' physical fitness, marksmanship, mastery of soldier tasks and military knowledge.

The event climaxes with a 12-mile forced march in which the soldiers wear full field gear and carry a 35-pound load and an M-4 carbine. Winners must finish in under three hours, but Stogel beat that by 20 minutes.

Stogel will compete against National Guard soldiers from other northeast states at Fort Dix, NJ April 24 to 28.

He said the competition require a soldier who is well-rounded and who can compete in different skills.

“The competition pushes you to your limits,” Stogel said. “Everyone wants to win and that attitude is contagious.”

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