Wisconsin Army National Guard representatives at the 2024 Region IV Best Warrior Competition include, left to right: Command Sgt. Maj. Duane Weyer, Wisconsin National Guard Joint Staff senior enlisted leader; Sgt. 1st Class William Green, sponsor for Staff Sgt. Alexander Kilbane, both of the 426th Regional Training Institute; Spc. Tevin Kenton and his sponsor, Sgt. 1st Class Wade Blaylock; and Command Sgt. Maj. Curtis Patrouille, Wisconsin Army National Guard senior enlisted leader. Submitted photo - Wisconsin Army National Guard representatives at the 2024 Region IV Best Warrior Competition include, left to right: Command Sgt. Maj. Duane Weyer, Wisconsin National Guard Joint Staff senior enlisted leader; Sgt. 1st Class William Green, sponsor for Staff Sgt. Alexander Kilbane, both of the 426th Regional Training Institute; Spc. Tevin Kenton and his sponsor, Sgt. 1st Class Wade Blaylock; and Command Sgt. Maj. Curtis Patrouille, Wisconsin Army National Guard senior enlisted leader. Submitted photo

Maj. Gen. Paul Knapp, Wisconsin’s adjutant general, presents Commodore Philip Polewara, acting defence chief of the Papua New Guinea Defence Force, with a framed print March 18 of an interaction between Soldiers of the 32nd Division and a Papua New Guinean sketching a diagram of Japanese military positions from Nov. 15, 1942 during the campaign to drive the Japanese army out of Buna. The 32nd Division was largely composed of Wisconsin National Guard Soldiers when World War II began. The photo underscores how far back Wisconsin’s history goes with Papua New Guinea. Forty Wisconsin National Guard Airmen and Soldiers spent the week of March 17-22 in Papua New Guinea collaborating with and training alongside the Papua New Guinea Defence Force as part of the State Partnership Program. This current exchange includes meetings between leadership along with training in instruction, medical, security forces, and collaboration with senior non-commissioned officers. The Wisconsin National Guard and Papua New Guinea began their partnership in 2020 and have since had several key leader engagements and site visits to strengthen that relationship. Wisconsin National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Kati Volkman - Maj. Gen. Paul Knapp, Wisconsin’s adjutant general, presents Commodore Philip Polewara, acting defence chief of the Papua New Guinea Defence Force, with a framed print March 18 of an interaction between Soldiers of the 32nd Division and a Papua New Guinean sketching a diagram of Japanese military positions from Nov. 15, 1942 during the campaign to drive the Japanese army out of Buna. The 32nd Division was largely composed of Wisconsin National Guard Soldiers when World War II began. The photo underscores how far back Wisconsin’s history goes with Papua New Guinea. Forty Wisconsin National Guard Airmen and Soldiers spent the week of March 17-22 in Papua New Guinea collaborating with and training alongside the Papua New Guinea Defence Force as part of the State Partnership Program. This current exchange includes meetings between leadership along with training in instruction, medical, security forces, and collaboration with senior non-commissioned officers. The Wisconsin National Guard and Papua New Guinea began their partnership in 2020 and have since had several key leader engagements and site visits to strengthen that relationship. Wisconsin National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Kati Volkman

Staff Sgt. Alexander Kilbane (center), a unit movement officer planning instructor assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 2nd Battalion, 426th Regional Training Institute, poses with Brig. Gen. Daniel Pulvermacher (left), the assistant adjutant general for readiness and training for Army, and Command Sgt. Maj. Curtis Patrouille, the state senior enlisted leader (right), after receiving the award for Wisconsin Army National Guard Best Warrior Competition 2024 Noncomissioned Officer of the Year. (U.S. National Guard photo by Sgt. Payton Wehr) - Staff Sgt. Alexander Kilbane (center), a unit movement officer planning instructor assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 2nd Battalion, 426th Regional Training Institute, poses with Brig. Gen. Daniel Pulvermacher (left), the assistant adjutant general for readiness and training for Army, and Command Sgt. Maj. Curtis Patrouille, the state senior enlisted leader (right), after receiving the award for Wisconsin Army National Guard Best Warrior Competition 2024 Noncomissioned Officer of the Year. (U.S. National Guard photo by Sgt. Payton Wehr)