'In his blood': Bigfork graduate named Utah Soldier of the Year
Caden Leonard participates in a stress shoot at the 2025 Utah Best Warrior Competition from March 10 to 12. (Courtesy of Caden Leonard)
Caden Leonard with his "Soldier of the Year" award following the 2026 Utah Best Warrior Competition from March 10 to 12. (Courtesy of Caden Leonard)
Caden Leonard on an M109 Paladin Howitzer in Africa for the multinational African Lion exercise. (Courtesy Caden Leonard)
Caden Leonard participates in a stress shoot at the 2026 Utah Best Warrior Competition from March 10 to 12. (Courtesy Caden Leonard)
Caden Leonard’s heart raced as he aimed his rifle at the target. His body was fatigued from a grueling physical fitness test: a mile run, pushups, squats, bear crawls, and an 80-pound sled drag.
After sprinting through the workout, he immediately transitioned to the shooting range, where he methodically demonstrated his skills with a pistol, rifle and shotgun. In this “stress shoot,” the challenge was to take steady aim with shaking muscles and a thundering pulse.
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