News from the Oklahoma National Guard

U.S., Brunei forces build readiness, trust during Pahlawan Warrior 26
August 25, 2026 — U.S. Army Soldiers with the Oklahoma National Guard and active duty partner alongside Royal Brunei Land Force Soldiers to sharpen their skills during Exercise Pahlawan Warrior 26, Aug. 11-21, 2026, building readiness through shared tactics, tough jungle training and stronger relationships...

From Lindsay to the Jungle: Oklahoma Guardsmen Forge Family and Combat Readiness in Brunei
August 21, 2026 — Deep within the dense, unforgiving canopy of the Rampoyah Jungle, two Soldiers from the small town of Lindsay, Oklahoma, are proving that the fighting spirit of the Oklahoma National Guard translates globally...

OKNG, Royal Brunei Armed Forces strengthen cyber readiness during Pahlawan Warrior 26
August 21, 2026 — While Soldiers maneuver through Brunei’s jungles during Exercise Pahlawan Warrior 26, another group of Oklahoma National Guard and Royal Brunei Armed Forces personnel are strengthening their defenses in a domain without borders – cyberspace...

OKGuard military police unit returns from Middle East deployment
August 21, 2026 — Friends, family members and Oklahoma National Guard leaders welcomed home nearly 50 Soldiers from the Oklahoma Army National Guard’s 745th Military Police Detachment, 345th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 90th Troop Command, during a homecoming ceremony in Mustang, Oklahoma, Aug. 20, following a nine-month deployment to the Middle East...

Oklahoma National Guard helps fight Burnt Canyon Fire
August 18, 2026 — Oklahoma Army National Guard Soldiers conducted aerial fire fighting operations at the Burnt Canyon Fire near Woodward, Oklahoma on Saturday, August 15...

180th Cavalry Regiment, Royal Brunei Land Forces build teamwork through fitness
August 18, 2026 — U.S. Army Soldiers from the Oklahoma National Guard, active-duty Army and members of the Royal Brunei Land Forces conduct physical training during Exercise Pahlawan Warrior 26 at Tutong Camp near Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei, Aug. 12, 2026...

OKGuard supports wild land fire operations near Woodward
August 15, 2026 — At the request of the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management, the Oklahoma National Guard activated one UH-60 Black Hawk and crew on August 15 to support wild land fire operations near Woodward, Oklahoma...

US Army, Royal Brunei Land Forces conduct land navigation training during Exercise Pahlawan Warrior 26
August 14, 2026 — U.S. Army Soldiers from the Oklahoma National Guard's 1st Squadron, 180th Cavalry Regiment, alongside active-duty Army, work side-by-side with members of the Royal Brunei Land Forces during jungle land navigation training as part of Exercise Pahlawan Warrior 26 at Tutong Camp near Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei, Aug. 12, 2026...

US Army, Royal Brunei Land Forces kick off Exercise Pahlawan Warrior 26
August 12, 2026 — Approximately 130 U.S. personnel are participating in Pahlawan Warrior 26, a bi-annual U.S. Army Pacific and Royal Brunei Land Force exercise as part of Operation PATHWAYS. The Oklahoma National Guard serves as the primary U.S. training force for this year’s iteration, working alongside Bruneian counterparts to strengthen readiness, interoperability and the enduring relationship between the two forces...

Oklahoma, Guam and Malaysian forces sharpen combat skills with MILES
July 21, 2026 — Oklahoma Army National Guard Soldiers, alongside Guam National Guard and Malaysian Forces, sharpened their warfighting skills during a force-on-force training exercise using the Multiple Integrated Laser Engagement System (MILES) as part of Keris Strike 2026 near Kota Belud, Malaysia, July 19, 2026...

Video by Sgt. Reece Heck

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Oklahoma Guardsmen compete to be best warrior

Oklahoma National Guard

April 23, 2023 | 2:29

Twelve of the Oklahoma Army National Guard’s best Citizen-Soldiers gathered to battle it out for the title of Best Warrior at Camp Gruber Training Center, Oklahoma, April 20-23.

At the end of the competition, Sgt. Evan Bias, a cavalry scout from Tuttle, Oklahoma, took home the title of Noncommissioned Officer of the Year, and Spc. Carson Downum, a horizontal construction engineer from Claremore, Oklahoma, earned the title of Soldier of the Year.

“It’s truly an honor,” Downum said. “It’s a big deal to everybody wearing the uniform so I’m really proud and it’ll be really cool to represent and try to fight off against the other states [at regionals].”

The annual competition brings together junior enlisted Soldiers and noncommissioned officers from units across the state to test their proficiency in a variety of warrior tasks. Events included an Army Combat Fitness Test, day and night land navigation, an obstacle course, multiple marksmanship challenges, a 12-mile ruck march, and an interview before a board of sergeants major.