Fort POLK, La.  –   During the awards ceremony, Brig. Gen. Jason Curl, commanding general of the Joint Readiness Training Center and Fort Polk, praised participants for advancing the Army’s drone capability.

“Proficiency is critical,” Curl said. “This is warfare, and this is how we’re fighting wars. Our ability to do this—both in real-world missions and through competitions like this one—makes every unit in the Army better.”

He thanked the Soldiers, installation partners and community stakeholders who supported the event, calling it “a shared investment in readiness.”

Building the fight for today

The event, hosted by the Directorate of Plans, Training, Mobilization and Security, was designed to strengthen small uncrewed aircraft systems proficiency among Soldiers and align with the Department of War’s effort to expand drone readiness across the force.

“The battlefield of today is extremely complex and dangerous. Maneuver warfare has never been more difficult,” said Mark Leslie, director of plans, training, mobilization and security. “The drone fight is the fight of the present. Threats are everywhere and interconnected. Drones are no longer just intelligence or surveillance platforms—they can deliver ordnance, act as communications relays, transmitters, early-warning tools and detection systems. New tactics, techniques and procedures are being developed daily.”

Leslie said when Secretary of War Pete Hegseth challenged the force to “unleash U.S. military drone dominance” in July, Brig. Gen. Curl immediately tasked the staff to find ways to close the capability gap and out-innovate the peer threat.

“This drone competition is one of the many initiatives our team has developed,” Leslie said. “We will ensure Soldiers are ready when they leave Fort Polk for the crucible of combat. We must.”

Two platforms, one mission

According to Capt. Craig Wells, operations officer in the Warrior Operations Center, the competition tested real-world drone operations using two distinct platforms—a Medium-Range Reconnaissance (MRR) drone used to locate target zones, and a Short-Range Reconnaissance (SRR) system tasked with identifying objects once those targets were found.

Each four-person team had about an hour to locate and classify multiple “target buckets” scattered throughout the Shughart-Gordon Mount site in the Fullerton Box training area. The first platform’s longer battery life required crews to move quickly before handing off to the short-range team for final confirmation tasks.

“This was a great opportunity for Soldiers to demonstrate what they’ve been practicing and how drone technology directly impacts how we’ll fight in the future,” Wells said. “It builds both their proficiency and confidence in a skill set that’s increasingly critical on the modern battlefield.”

Top MRR finishers - 1st place: Spc. Elijah Siegl and Spc. Collin Palm, 1st Battalion, 509th Infantry Regiment; 2nd place: Spc. Connor Turnbull and Spc. Jeffere Lockwood, 1st Battalion, 509th Infantry Regiment; 3rd place: Cpl. Daylane Heffler and Spc. Nicholas Schilling, Tactical Unmanned Aircraft Systems, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division

Top SRR finishers - 1st place: Sgt. Darius Shumpert and Pfc. Kathy Topete, 1st Battalion, 509th Infantry Regiment; 2nd place: Pfc. Daniel Todd and Pfc. John Martino, 1st Battalion, 509th Infantry Regiment; 3rd place: Sgt. Henry Wilson and Sgt. Sean Hansen, 2nd Battalion, 2nd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division

Innovation takes leadership

Leslie credited Justin Winstead, operations specialist for the Warrior Operations Center, as the lead action officer and driving force behind the competition.

“Justin attended drone events in Avon Park, Florida, to learn best practices and brought those ideas back to Fort Polk,” Leslie said. “His vision and initiative helped shape this competition into a relevant, realistic training opportunity that supports both readiness and innovation.”

Winstead said organizing the first event of its kind at Fort Polk was both challenging and rewarding.

“Starting from zero knowledge of small-UAS operations and building a competition from the ground up was daunting,” Winstead said. “It required learning the technology, understanding what would engage Soldiers and coordinating with multiple units and partners across post.”

He said the most rewarding part was the collaboration.

“We built relationships with experts across the installation and community—from technical specialists and educators to emergency services and family programs,” he said. “It became a truly collective effort that reflected Fort Polk’s team-of-teams culture.”

Winstead said the competition’s value extends well beyond a single event.

“This was about more than a trophy,” he said. “It’s about preparing Soldiers for the modern battlefield. The conflict in Ukraine and Russia has shown how essential drones are for intelligence, targeting and survivability. This competition helps us close that capability gap and ensure our Soldiers achieve drone dominance.”

Looking ahead, Winstead said the next event is planned for August 2026 and will expand participation beyond Soldiers.

“We want to bring in families, local schools and colleges,” he said. “By broadening participation, we can strengthen community partnerships, inspire innovation and build interest in UAS technology across all age groups.”

Northwestern State partnership takes flight

The competition was sponsored by Northwestern State University’s Advanced Remote Geospatial Operations Lab, which provides drone and mapping support across the university’s academic departments and the surrounding community.

“The ArGO Lab supports drone operations across multiple disciplines—from communications and biology to natural resource management,” said Dr. J.D. Cox, assistant professor and coordinator of the lab. “We provide technical expertise, certification courses and outreach that connect students—and now Soldiers—to practical applications of drone technology.”

Cox said the lab helped sponsor the event by providing technical support and lunch for participants.

“It’s exciting to see Fort Polk integrating small-UAS training with real-world scenarios,” he said. “Our students see how drone operations are used tactically, and Soldiers see how the same tools can serve science, media and community needs.”

Editor’s note: Northwestern State partnered with MWR to provide key sponsorship and technical support for this competition. The ArGO Lab offers drone and mapping support across NSU’s academic departments and the surrounding community, facilitating practical applications of drone technology for students and community members. NSU is also working with military education counselors to provide accreditation for approved military training and is exploring expanding that program to include credit for small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS) training and flight hours for operators.