BEST RANGER COMPETITION - In 1982, buddy teams from each of the three Ranger Department Divisions of the US Army competed against each other in the first Best Ranger Competition. The competition expanded in 1982, to include teams from the Ranger Battalions and Special Operations units throughout the Army. In 1985, the competition was further expanded to include light infantry units, and by 1987, the increased interest in the competition resulted in an Armywide invitation to all units with Ranger coded positions. Many of the participating commands conduct preliminary competitions to select the teams that will represent them at Fort Benning, Georgia each year, resulting in only the best Ranger qualified Soldiers competing.  I followed one team over the three day event.  Out of fifty teams, Team Nick finished twenty-second!  Not bad guys!

 

 

COMPETITOR CHARACTERISTICS:

 

• AVERAGE AGE: 28

• AVERAGE HEIGHT: 5’10”

• AVERAGE WEIGHT: 165

• RANK: SPECIALIST TO MAJOR

• VOLUNTEER

• AIRBORNE RANGER QUALIFIED

• DECATHALON-CALIBER SOLDIER-ATHLETE

• 26% PRIOR COMPETITORS

 

PAST EVENTS:

 

• UNKNOWN DISTANCE RUN / PUSH UPS / SIT UPS

• MALVESTI CONFIDENCE COURSE

• AIRBORNE OPERATION

• RIFLE MARKSMANSHIP

• PISTOL MARKSMANSHIP

• MACHINE GUN MARKSMANSHIP

• FOOT MARCH - 20+ MILES (60 POUND RUCK SACK)

• AIRBORNE OPERATION

• SPOT JUMP

• 4.7 MILE RUCK RUN

• HANDS-ON RANGER SKILLS TESTS (DAY & NIGHT) DEMOLITIONS

• GRENADES

• MILITARY KNOTS

• WEAPONS ASSEMBLY

• ROPE CLIMB AND RAPPELLING (PRUSIK)

• BAYONET ASSAULT COURSE

• NIGHT LAND NAVIGATION (MAP & COMPASS)

• OBSTACLE COURSE

• WATER CONFIDENCE TEST SLIDE FOR LIFE / ROPE DROP

• HELOCAST / SWIM

• MILE BUDDY RUN

• BEST RANGER STATS

• 60 CONTINUOUS HOURS

• 60 MILES COVERED

• NO PROGRAMMED SLEEP

• 29 MILITARY TASKS MOVE

• SHOOT

• COMMUNICATE

 

TYPICAL QUALIFICATIONS:

• EXPERT IN PROFESSION

• HIGH LEVEL OF PHYSICAL AND MENTAL STAMINA