Caden Leonard’s heart raced as he aimed his rifle at the target. His body was fatigued from a grueling physical fitness test: a mile run, pushups, squats, bear crawls, and an 80-pound sled drag.  

After sprinting through the workout, he immediately transitioned to the shooting range, where he methodically demonstrated his skills with a pistol, rifle and shotgun. In this “stress shoot,” the challenge was to take steady aim with shaking muscles and a thundering pulse.  

From there, Leonard donned his crisp dress uniform, taking care to place each ribbon and pin in its exact location. He walked into a room full of sergeant majors, where he was drilled on his knowledge of military tactics, weaponry, and history. How far can this weapon shoot? What factors led to the bombing of Pearl Harbor? What is the status of the Russia-Ukraine conflict? No question was off limits, and Leonard hoped his months of studying would pay off.  

And that was only day one of the Utah Army National Guard’s Best Warrior Competition, a contest designed to push soldiers to their physical and mental limits. From March 10 to 12, Leonard persevered through three days of rigorous tests to place first in the Soldier category and earned the distinction of Utah’s Soldier of the Year. He now advances to the Western Regional Competition, where he will compete against top soldiers from other states for the opportunity to advance to the national contest. 

Leonard enlisted in the National Guard four years ago. A 2022 Bigfork High School graduate, he moved to Utah to study psychology and criminology at the University of Utah, where he balances his coursework with military commitments. Between classes and exams, he has worked on flood relief projects and manned Covid testing stations, jumped out of planes and traveled to Africa for multinational training exercises.  

At Bigfork High School, Leonard’s resume didn’t necessarily suggest the single-minded dedication that would propel him to success in the National Guard. He admitted schoolwork did not come easily, so he instead gravitated toward athletics, where he dabbled in football and soccer. He loved track and excelled in tennis, where he placed third at state in the doubles competition.  

He worked at Flathead Lake Brewing Company, under the supervision of his mother and brewery owner Sandy Johnston. During his senior year, Leonard started a rock band with his friends called “Shallow Diver” for his senior project, not necessarily the obvious choice for someone bound for the military. 

But Leonard’s fascination with the armed services was born long before he ever enlisted in the National Guard. He grew up on family war stories, which stretched back to the founding of America. In every major conflict the United States has been involved in, from the Revolutionary War to the Middle East, at least one of Leonard’s relatives was there in uniform.  

Yet even with generations of family tales of war and conflict, it was Leonard’s own father, First Sergeant Terry Leonard, who provided the most inspiration.  Terry, who first joined the Navy and flew jets before transferring to the Army, often brought his son to work with him.  

“I was always getting to go to work with him and crawl around in the tanks as a kid and hold all the fun or crazy looking like machine guns,” Leonard said. “So, I always had a fascination with the military and a desire to serve. I always wanted to help people growing up.” 

For Terry, watching his son follow in his footsteps brought up a mix of emotions, but he saw that Leonard was pursuing military service for the right reasons — not for the adventure or the stories, but to help people.  

“He was born for this,” said Terry. “Even if I wanted him to not do it anymore, it’s in his blood.” 

ON THE second day of Utah’s Best Warrior Competition, Leonard once again woke up at 4 a.m. He shouldered a 35-pound backpack and set out for a ruck. The course traversed 8 miles and gained 2,000 feet of elevation, but Leonard, a competitive ultramarathoner who competed in a 75-mile mountain race in January, sailed through and beat his nearest competitor by 30 minutes.  

From the ruck, Leonard jumped into an intense medical rescue scenario. Grenades flashed in the stimulated combat scene, and Leonard had to locate an injured actor, perform emergency medical care, and drag the victim on a sled through a series of tunnels to reach safety. 

Operating on just five hours of sleep, Leonard was then thrown into a navigation test. In the nearby mountains, with nothing but a compass and paper maps, he was given two hours to locate a number of points on the map.  

The Best Warrior Competition is designed for this, to push National Guardsmen to the edge of their limits. As a Specialist in the Army National Guard’s 214th Forward Support Company, Leonard is a part-time soldier and under the purview of the state of Utah. National Guardsmen are activated to respond to national emergencies within the United States, including natural disasters and civil unrest. They also support global military efforts when there is a need for additional support.  

Leonard’s preparation for the competition began more than a year before his victory. He first volunteered to compete at the Company level before advancing through the Battalion and Brigade levels, with the competition increasing in intensity. The competition is split into two categories for soldiers and non-commissioned officers. Leonard competed as a soldier. 

From the outside looking in, Leonard’s father Terry explained, it can be challenging to understand how complex, serious and demanding the Best Warrior Competition really is. Before his retirement last year, Terry prepared and oversaw the judging of the Montana Best Warrior Competition, where he saw firsthand just how much dedication is required to succeed.  

“It's an Ironman Triathlon mixed with a master's dissertation on military history,” said Terry. “You're testing the whole soldier. Can you run and shoot? Can you articulate? Can you be a leader? Are you the well-rounded leader: physically impressive, mentally impressive, emotionally stable?” 

Surprisingly, Leonard did not seek much advice from his father. Instead, he found a mentor in friend and fellow Utah National Guardsman Luke Cloward, who won the 2025 National Best Warrior Competition in the Noncommissioned Officer category.  

The final day of competition, as Leonard explained it, sounded like a reprieve from the previous two days of physical and mental exertion. The “soldier skills” day involved everything from reading maps to camouflage paint to grenade identification. Running on fumes, Leonard disassembled and reassembled a variety of machine guns. The rest of the skill tests raced by in a blur. 

When the three days of intense competition concluded, Leonard was declared the winner of the Soldier category. For his efforts, he was also named the 2026 Utah Soldier of the Year.  

To put it in perspective, Terry explained, Leonard is now among the 50 best Amy National Guard soldiers in the United States.  

“You’re going up against the best of the best of thousands of soldiers,” he said. “That will follow him through the rest of his career. That puts him in very elite company.” 

For his part, Leonard trusted his preparation would propel him through the competition, but he didn’t know just how far it would take him. 

“There were some other competitors who were right there with me the whole time. I think it was back and forth the whole way,” he said. “I felt confident, but I did not know I was going to win, so I was surprised.” 

Leonard is set to graduate from the University of Utah in the spring of 2027. He has two more years left on his contract with the National Guard and is confident he will sign on for another. Beyond that, he’s thought about pursuing graduate school or becoming a firefighter.  

For now, as the winner of the Utah competition, Leonard advances to the Western States Regional Best Warrior Competition, which is held in New Mexico from April 26 to May 1.  

When reflecting on his journey through the National Guard and the Best Warrior Competition, Leonard attributed his success to his family’s support.  

“I really couldn’t do it if not for my family,” he said. “My mom, my stepmom, and definitely my dad. All three of my younger siblings. [I can’t say] how much the support means to me.” 

Reporter Elsa Ericksen can be reached at 406-758-4459 or [email protected]. If you value local journalism, pledge your support at dailyinterlake.com/support. 

    Caden Leonard with his parents Terry Leonard (left) and Sandy Johnston (right) at basic training for the Utah Army National Guard. (Courtesy Caden Leonard)
  

    Caden Leonard with his "Soldier of the Year" award following the 2026 Utah Best Warrior Competition from March 10 to 12. (Courtesy of Caden Leonard)
  

    Caden Leonard on an M109 Paladin Howitzer in Africa for the multinational African Lion exercise. (Courtesy Caden Leonard)
  

    Caden Leonard participates in a stress shoot at the 2026 Utah Best Warrior Competition from March 10 to 12. (Courtesy Caden Leonard)