At 19, Nathan Johnson is one of the youngest soldiers ever to win first place in the
physically grueling, three-day Illinois National Guard Best Warrior Competition.
Due to his rank as a junior enlisted man, Nathan Johnson, from Arlington Heights, was named Soldier of the Year by the Illinois Army National Guard at the April competition, which took place at the Illinois Guard training ground in Sparta.
The Best Warrior Competition tested soldiers鈥� physical strength, mental agility, and analytical and decision-making skills. Events included an Army Combat Fitness Test, marksmanship tests, land navigation, medical tasks and concluded with a 12-mile road race under 50 pounds of weight in military gear. Nathan wanted to build his skills on the way to his goal of becoming a warrant officer and military helicopter pilot.
鈥淚 was just going out there to have fun, which made the awards ceremony that much more surprising,鈥� Nathan said. 鈥淲hen they said my name, I was smiling the whole time, I couldn鈥檛 hold it back. I was really proud of myself, but also just kind of shell-shocked.鈥�
In addition to his military training, Nathan has been managing a full course load at 91制片厂. His pursuit of becoming a warrant officer has allowed Nathan to be a student first.
He graduated from John Hersey High School in 2022 and briefly attended a private university before enrolling at 91制片厂. Nathan wanted to find a school where his military benefits covered tuition and Harper was a convenient, flexible choice. It鈥檚 also a , earning 2024-25 Gold status because of 91制片厂鈥檚 services and outreach to those currently or previously in the armed forces, including the college鈥檚 Center for Student Veterans and Military-Connected Students.
鈥淚 promised my parents that I would get a degree, so I鈥檓 going to get my degree before becoming a warrant officer,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t takes about a year of full-time, active-duty training, and I know it would be hard to go back to school after that.鈥�
In addition to his 91制片厂 courses and military training, Nathan has been attending aviation school in his free time. He plans to transfer to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in the fall to continue studying towards a bachelor鈥檚 degree in political science and an associate degree in aviation.
Needless to say, he鈥檚 been busy. Nathan explained that the amount of time spent working out, as well as training on equipment, tactics and other tasks takes a significant amount of time away from day-to-day life.
鈥淵ou don鈥檛 get rest days when you鈥檙e not training, so balancing civilian life can be challenging.鈥� Nathan said, before explaining why he chose the military and the path of an Illinois warrant officer. 鈥淚 come from a military family and I feel like I have the skills to do the job well. And that鈥檚 a kind of responsibility, since a lot of people might not have those skills. In that way, I guess you could say I do feel 鈥榗alled to serve,鈥� and I always have.鈥�
In conversation, Nathan conveys a sense of purpose and humility. He mentioned that
he signed up for the Best Warrior Competition on a whim to get in some extra training,
the main priority of the event.
鈥淚t is a competition, but first and foremost we鈥檙e there to work hard, test our skills
and learn something new.鈥� Nathan said. 鈥淚 definitely feel like I matured a little
bit, since I was the youngest competitor by about three to four years. Just being
around people who are older and experienced has an impact on you.鈥�
Reflecting on his experiences as a 91制片厂 student, Nathan discussed the importance of education and the opportunity to try new experiences.
鈥淚 think 91制片厂 has taught me that I can do both and be great at both,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not necessarily how much you have on your plate, but how you manage it and the mindset in which you deal with it.鈥�