Army Reserve Unit Supports Local Junior ROTC Raider Challenge

Oct. 8, 2026 | By Army Capt. Robert Smith, 451st Expeditionary Sustainment Command |

Mud, sweat and chants of esprit de corps filled the air at Northwest High School in Wichita, Kansas, Oct. 1, 2026, as the next generation of military leaders were put to the test.  

Junior ROTC cadets from eight high schools across the area converged for the annual City League Raider Challenge, a grueling competition of physical strength and mental fortitude. Providing support and encouragement throughout the event, and often right in the thick of the action, were soldiers assigned to the Army Reserve's 451st Expeditionary Sustainment Command.

The Raider Challenge pushed 11 teams of cadets to their limits with a demanding series of events, including a rope bridge, a mile team run and an obstacle course. Cadets traversed walls, navigated rope obstacles and powered through a muddy low crawl, demonstrating exceptional teamwork and grit. 

"There was a lot of motivation out there," said Army Maj. Chris Cooper, command inspector general, who served as a grader on the obstacle course. "They really liked getting in the mud. I thought they'd all be hesitant, but they dove right in and showed a lot of encouragement towards one another."

Soldiers assigned to the 451st ESC, a Wichita-based Army Reserve unit, volunteered their time to help score and mentor the cadets throughout the competition. Their presence provided more than logistical support; it offered the students a direct link to service members living in their own community. 

"It's important for them to see a representation of what being a service member looks like and to know that we are out here supporting our community," said Army Master Sgt. Brian Michael Poe Jr., command assistant inspector general. "If they are curious about the military after high school, they can pick our brains a bit." 

Their presence is a cornerstone of the Army Reserve's identity as "twice the citizen" —soldiers who serve the nation while living and working as civilians in their local communities. For the command, participating in events like the Raider Challenge is a direct investment in the future of Wichita.

"This is the youth, this is the future," explained Army Sgt. 1st Class Lewis Nicholson, an operations noncommissioned officer with the unit and a former high school Junior ROTC cadet. "By getting ourselves involved with the high school and the JROTC program, it's another way to give back." 

The sentiment was echoed by retired Army Lt. Col. Bob Bystrek, senior Army instructor for the Northwest High School Junior ROTC program and a former member of the 451st ESC. 

"Today is where months of training and dedication come to fruition for these cadets and seeing that hard work pay off is incredibly gratifying," Bystrek said. "A huge thank you to the team at the 451st ESC for coming out and helping us." 

As the final teams crossed the finish line, it was clear the event was more than just a competition. It was a powerful demonstration of community, mentorship and the enduring bond between the city of Wichita and the citizen-soldiers of the sustainment command.

DPAA Identifies Record Number of Missing Service Members

Oct. 8, 2026 | By Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency |

The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency identified the remains of 250 service members missing from past conflicts in fiscal year 2026, surpassing its previous record of 231 set last year.  

The last identification was Army Capt. Albert P. Wilcox from California. He was a prisoner of war in the Philippines during World War II and was killed when the Japanese transport ship Enoura Maru was mistakenly sunk in 1945.

Wilcox's remains were recovered after the war but couldn't be identified. He was buried and marked as unknown at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu.  

In 2022, DPAA began the Enoura Maru Project to find unidentified remains associated with the ship and transfer them to its Hawaii laboratory for identification.  

Wilcox's remains will be returned to his family, who will decide his final resting place.  

"The United States of America is resolved to never forget the warriors who answered the call to duty, made the supreme sacrifice and never came home," said Secretary of War Pete Hegseth. "Through DPAA's determined efforts, all 250 of these heroes will finally be home." 

DPAA searches for, recovers and identifies Americans missing from past conflicts. These 250 accounted-for service members include 198 from World War II, 51 from the Korean War and one from the Vietnam War. Distributed among the branches of service, the identified service members are: 136 Army, 76 Army Air Forces, 20 Navy, 15 Marine Corps, one Air Force and two federal civilians. 

Every unaccounted-for service member or department civilian/contractor is entitled to one certainty: that he or she will not be forgotten. Operating in 54 countries around the world, the military and civilian professionals of DPAA are steadfastly committed to providing the fullest possible accounting of Americans missing from past conflicts to their families and the nation. 

"This is a deeply personal priority for me," said Anthony J. Tata, undersecretary of war for personnel and readiness. "The Department of War will not rest in its efforts to bring home our unaccounted-for service members and provide the fullest possible accounting of all mission personnel."