Sgt. Matthew Krysa, an indirect fire infantryman with V Corps, patrols with his squad during a medical triage event at U.S. Army Europe and Africa's Best Squad Competition in Grafenwoehr, Germany, on Aug. 6, 2024. (Lydia Gordon/Stars and Stripes)

GRAFENWOEHR, Germany — Putting together U.S. Army Europe and Africa’s Best Squad Competition this year was all about finding a degree of difficulty in the Goldilocks zone.

And the consensus among the 12 five-person teams that tested their mettle in the field was that the competition had come a long way since taking its current form in 2022.

“I think they found a pretty good balance of making sure it’s more physically challenging, but not so demanding that you break people,” Staff Sgt. William Powell, a weapons squad leader for Blackfoot Company, 1-4 Infantry Regiment, said Friday.

Sgt. Theodore Buckley, an air and missile defense crew member with 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command, directs his squad at U.S. Army Europe and Africa's Best Squad Competition at Grafenwoehr Training Area in Germany on Aug. 6, 2024. (Lydia Gordon/Stars and Stripes)

For 10 days, the soldiers vied for the title in events that included the Army Combat Fitness Test, live ranges, expert soldier and infantry tasks, land navigation, a 12-mile march, troop-leading procedures, a situational tactical exercise and a physical fitness test.

The team made up of Staff Sgt. Jordon Behr, Sgt. William Hogarth, Spc. Jonathan White, Spc. Warrisi Abiola and Pfc. Philip Kunde of V Corps’ 2nd Cavalry Regiment emerged victorious.

In September, they will represent the Europe-based command in the Army’s Best Squad Competition, which includes stateside field tests followed by board-style interviews in Washington, D.C.

Soldiers with 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command help each other prepare for a simulated gas attack during U.S. Army Europe and Africa's Best Squad Competition at Grafenwoehr Training Area in Germany on Aug. 6, 2024. (Lydia Gordon/Stars and Stripes)

One noncommissioned officer and one junior soldier will be chosen from the winning squad for recognition as the Army’s best NCO and best soldier of the year.

Organizers of this year’s competition in Grafenwoehr applied the lessons of the previous two in their quest to create a challenge for the competitors.

“The first year we went entirely too maneuver-heavy and it ... didn’t translate to success at the Department of the Army competition, nor did it help our organization,” Master Sgt. Jacob Hurt, the senior enlisted leader of the U.S. Army Europe and Africa’s training and exercises division, said Tuesday.

U.S. soldiers with 2nd Cavalry Regiment simulate tactical combat casualty care Aug. 6, 2024, during an event at U.S. Army Europe and Africa's Best Squad Competition at Grafenwoehr Training Area in Germany. (Lydia Gordon/Stars and Stripes)

After three years of fine-tuning, they think they’ve struck a happy medium between physically challenging the competitors and minimizing the risk of injury.

Each group in the competition had a squad leader who is a sergeant first class or staff sergeant, a team leader who is a sergeant or corporal, and three members at the rank of specialist or below.

A soldier from U.S. Army Europe and Africa takes part in a team competition event Aug. 6, 2024, at Grafenwoehr Training Area in Germany. (Lydia Gordon/Stars and Stripes)

“I think the competition was exceedingly well-run,” said Behr, the squad leader for the winning team. “The level of training that each competitor got, there could absolutely be no improvements. It was perfect.”