Welcome to another Photo Of The Day! I predict this will be one of the top images in 2024. Note the blast from the barrel, which may be a little difficult to see if you’re using a mobile phone to view this. Have you ever tried this in fresh snow or in sand and dust? Wear eye protection if you do, is my advice. You can thank me later.

U.S. Army Sgt. Brenton Makiya, a cavalry scout assigned to Bravo Troop, 1st Squadron, 299th Cavalry Regiment, 9th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Hawaii Army National Guard (HIARNG), competes in the Live Fire Exercise portion of the Best Warrior Competition at the Regional Training Institute, Waimanalo, Hawaii, April 5-7, 2024.

U.S. Army Sgt. Brenton Makiya, a cavalry scout assigned to Bravo Troop, 1st Squadron, 299th Cavalry Regiment, 9th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Hawaii Army National Guard (HIARNG).

The Best Warrior Competition is an annual event conducted by the HIARNG to identify the most skilled and proficient Soldiers across various military occupational specialties (MOS).

U.S. Army Spc. Jantzen Weight, an intelligence analyst assigned to the Delta Company, 227th Brigade Engineer Battalion, 29th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Hawaii Army National Guard (HIARNG), competes in Live Fire Exercise portion of the Best Warrior Competition.

Images and captions: U.S. Army National Guard, photo by Staff Sgt. Matthew A. Foster.