From JBMDL to world stage: Army Reserve Soldiers selected to compete among NATO's best

U.S. Army Reserve Staff Sgt. Austin Blake, right, combat engineer and Basic Leadership Course instructor, U.S. Army Noncommissioned Officer Academy Fort Dix, receives an Interallied Confederation of Reserve Officers (CIOR) patch from U.S. Army Reserve Staff Sgt. Corey Laframboise, training noncommissioned officer, U.S. Army Reserve Command G 3/5/7 Competitive Programs and planner for USARC’s CIOR selection competition, during the finale of the competition at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., April 3, 2026. Blake was among five NCOs and seven officers selected from the competition, held March 30 - April 3, to represent the United States this summer in Europe at the 2026 CIOR Military Competition, where reserve forces from NATO nations will compete in challenges that test teamwork, endurance and combat skills. (U.S. Air Force photo by Kris Patterson)