By Dawn Arden, Fort Leonard Wood Public Affairs Office
FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. (June 2, 2025) – Following a week of mentally and physically exhausting testing of both Soldiering skills and drill sergeant knowledge, Maneuver Support Center of Excellence senior leaders announced Sgt. 1st Class Terrence Johnson, Company E, 35th Engineer Battalion, as the 2026 MSCoE Drill Sergeant of the Year, during a ceremony held June 26, 2026, in Lincoln Hall Auditorium.
Seven drill sergeants from across the installation competed June 22-25, being evaluated on their proficiency of U.S. Army Skill Level 1 Tasks, which are the foundation of every Soldier. They were also scored on their ability to motivate while delivering clear, concise instructions on the proper execution of techniques such as marching and drill and ceremony, as well as their ability to confidently and effectively brief senior leaders.
Maj. Gen. Christopher Beck, MSCoE and Fort Leonard Wood commanding general, gave the competitors his perspective as a career officer with more than 33 years of service.
“I can tell you, as the senior mission commander, as the senior officer on this installation, the level of respect that I and every other officer on this installation have for our noncommissioned officers is unbelievable,” he said. “We could not do what we do without you all. What makes us the best Army in the world is the backbone of our Army, our noncommissioned officers.”
MSCoE and Fort Leonard Wood Command Sgt. Maj. Keyon Cummings, said the DSoY position allows for growth and lets the Soldier see things through a different lens.
“How the impact of a drill sergeant truly impacts our formations, our leaders, and most importantly our trainees,” Cummings said. “This is not a position to take lightly.”
Johnson said even though it was a competition, he and the other competitors worked well together.
“I know it was a competition, but we weren’t trying to sabotage each other, we were pushing each other to get the best product,” Johnson said. “The competitors were very tough to compete against, and that’s what made the challenge so fun. That’s what I thrive on.”
Johnson, a combat engineer, appropriately reached his one-year mark as a drill sergeant the day of the ceremony. He said he wanted to be a drill sergeant to do his part in turning civilians into Soldiers.
“It’s not so much about me, but those around me and if I’m able to help elevate them to make them better,” he said. “I like helping individuals a lot, so this is the perfect job for me.”
The Drill Sergeant of the Year runner-up Staff Sgt. Harold Garcia, Company C, 1st Battalion, 48th Infantry Regiment, was also recognized during the ceremony, with Cummings saying how close the competition was throughout.
Johnson will go on to represent MSCoE at the U.S. Army Drill Sergeant of the Year Competition scheduled for September.
To view more photos from the competition, visit this Fort Leonard Wood Flickr album.
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About Fort Leonard Wood
Fort Leonard Wood is a thriving and prosperous installation that has evolved from a small basic training post more than 80 years ago to a premier Army Center of Excellence that trains nearly 80,000 military and civilians each year.
Fort Leonard Wood is home to the U.S Army Maneuver Support Center of Excellence and three U.S. Army schools: the U.S. Army Engineer School; U.S. Army Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear School; and the U.S. Army Military Police School. In addition to training engineer, CBRN and military police specialties for the Army, Fort Leonard Wood also provides gender-integrated in-processing and Basic Combat Training for new Soldiers.
Fort Leonard Wood also hosts and trains with the largest Marine Corps Detachment and Air Force Squadron on any Army installation as well as a large Navy construction detachment.
More information about Fort Leonard Wood is at: https://home.army.mil/wood/index.php/about/mission