Soldiers from C Company, 1-163rd Cavalry Regiment of the Montana Army National Guard competed against active-duty Army crews, other National Guard teams, and international competitors during the 2026 Sullivan Cup in Fort Benning, Georgia, often described as the “Super Bowl” of tank competitions worldwide.
The Montana crew finished with a total score of 686 out of 1,000 points, placing just 13 points behind the Polish team that earned second place overall.
Madison Collier has the report – watch the video here:
Montana National Gard tank crew competes at Fort Benning
For the crew, the competition represented far more than just a ranking.
“This is the first time that the Montana Army National Guard has ever sent a team to the Sullivan Cup,” said Staff Sgt. Cody Warner, the crew’s tank commander. “And this was the last time the Montana Army National Guard will ever send a team to the Sullivan Cup.”
The Sullivan Cup, hosted every two years at Fort Benning, brings together elite armor crews to compete in a series of physically and technically demanding events designed to replicate the stress and complexity of combat operations.
Over several days, crews are tested on physical fitness, operational knowledge, vehicle identification, maintenance tasks, tactical problem solving, and live-fire gunnery events.
“This last eight days has consisted of physical fitness events, technical knowledge, doctrine knowledge, vehicle identification, and a ton of tank-specific platform tests,” Warner explained. “That’s what we’ve been doing for the last eight days, just trying to iron out who knows what and who’s the best at each different test.”
Lt. Col. Dwain Henderson, the battalion commander, said the competition pushes soldiers physically and mentally while evaluating technical proficiency under pressure.
“The competition really pushes the competitors physically,” Henderson explained. “A lot of mental stamina, just being able to go through and understand and be able to complete tasks to the Army standard.”
According to Henderson, the Montana crew spent four to five months preparing for the event through physical training, studying manuals, and learning the technical details required to operate and troubleshoot the tank platform under stressful conditions.
That preparation became even more important because the crew no longer had tanks available to train on back home, so the weeks leading up the competition were vital.
“We basically throughout the time that we were selected for the crew, we identified the categories of events that took place over the last 14 years,” Warner explained. “We were able to just manage and control the things that we could control and execute them at the highest level.”
Even with limitations, Henderson said the crew stood out early in the competition, reportedly beating every other crew by 10 minutes during the opening physical event.
The tank crew said one of the most difficult portions of the competition was the live-fire gunnery event.
“The Sullivan Cup cadre, they put together a pretty difficult series of engagements to execute,” said Staff Sgt. Mitchell Clark, the crew’s tank gunner. “We were kind of coming at it from we don’t have our tanks anymore.”
Still, the soldiers said they leaned heavily on teamwork and trust throughout the week.
“This crew is unbelievable,” Warner said. “Every single one of us led at least one of the events… it truly doesn’t matter as long as you win.”
The four soldiers also brought a wide range of experience into the competition. Outside of the uniform, they serve as a detention officer, a film and productions specialist, and a firefighter paramedic, while another is studying aeronautical science at Rocky Mountain College.
Warner said those outside experiences became one of the crew’s strengths.
“I think that’s something that the National Guard is completely different than active duty with,” Warner said. “We all have different civilian jobs and different hobbies and different skill sets and different trades.”
Command Sgt. Maj. Keith Deboo, the Montana National Guard’s state command senior enlisted leader, said the crew’s performance reflected what he describes as “The Montana Way.”
“The things that stand out the most to me is the never quit attitude, the mental resiliency,” Deboo said. “They’re tired, they’re sleep deprived, they’re hungry, they’re wet, they’re cold, they’re smiling.”
He said other leaders and participants at the competition repeatedly commented on the crew’s professionalism, attitude, and ability to continue operating under difficult conditions.
So, Henderson said the final result speaks for itself.
“They took third in the competition,” Henderson said. “So overall, they’re the third best tank crew in the world.”
This year’s competition also carries added significance as the Montana Army National Guard transitions away from heavy armor operations, making this both Montana’s first, and likely final, appearance at the Sullivan Cup with a tank crew.
For the soldiers involved, that reality added another layer of meaning to the experience.
“We’re just trying to soak in every opportunity we could,” Warner said. “Whether we’re sleeping on our tanks or driving them one last time or pulling that last round off… it’s all sentimental to us.”
After returning home from Georgia, the soldiers will continue serving with the Montana National Guard while bringing the experience gained at one of armor’s biggest stages back to the rest of their unit.