Best Ranger Competition

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U.S. Army Capt. James McClare and 1st Lt. Anthony Day participating in the 2016 Best Ranger Competition. Best Ranger Competition 2016 160417-A-BZ540-0053.jpg
U.S. Army Capt. James McClare and 1st Lt. Anthony Day participating in the 2016 Best Ranger Competition.

The David E. Grange Jr. Best Ranger Competition is an annual competition held in Fort Moore (formerly Fort Benning), Georgia, hosted by the Airborne and Ranger Training Brigade. It is a two-man team competition where competitors must be active military who are Ranger Qualified. [1]

Contents

The Best Ranger Competition was first held in 1982. [1] The first competitions were limited to Ranger units, but from 1984 onwards it accepted teams from throughout the Army. [2] As of 2018, the competition involves 50 two-man teams, mostly from the 75th Ranger Regiment and the ARTB, but also including a Coast Guard team. [3] The competition takes 62 hours and involves tests of physical fitness, including runs and marches, and of marksmanship. The exact composition of events changes yearly. [3]

Mike Rose is the only service member to have won BRC three times, having won each time he has entered. At Rose's first win in 2014, he entered as a 2Lt. while with the 25th Infantry Division, his partner was 2Lt. John Bergman - Together making them the youngest winners. In 2017 while with the 75th Ranger Regiment, Rose (now a Captain) entered and won with MSG. Joshua Horsager. (Horsager was the oldest winner at 39). In 2019 Rose again partnered with John Bergman (now a Captain), this time representing the 101st Airborne Division. In 2019 the rules were modified to allow contestants only a maximum of 3 entries over their career, making Rose's achievement technical impossible to beat.

Five people have won BRC twice; Paul Scurka; Eric Turk; Walter Zajkowski; Timothy Briggs; (each with different partners each time); and John Bergman; who was Mike Rose's partner for two of Rose's three wins.

Sergeant Major Thomas Payne, who won the 2012 competition as a Sergeant First Class, had his Distinguished Service Cross upgraded to the Medal of Honor. He was presented the Medal of Honor by President Donald Trump on September 11, 2020, the 19th anniversary of the September 11 attacks. [4]

The 2020 Competition was scheduled to be from April 16–18 but due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, officials decided to cancel the 2020 event but with plans to continue with the 2021 competition. [5]

List of past winners

Year [5] SoldierSoldierUnit
1982SFC Philip SebaySFC Charles Light3rd Ranger Company, Benning Ranger Division
1983SSG Michael TilsonSSG Kevin Connell2nd Ranger Company, Mountain Ranger Division
1984SGT David Bazemore IIISGT Gregory Georgevitch 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment
1985SSG Harvey Moore, Jr.SGT Paul ScurkaHHC, 75th Ranger Regiment
1986SGT Paul ScurkaSGT Bart SextonHHC, 75th Ranger Regiment
1987SSG Joe UllibariSGT Ross Wilson 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment
1988SGT John SchlichteSPC Karl Schlichte 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment
1989SGT Guy FichtelmanSGT Mike Sonnenschein 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment
1990SSG Mark SheehanSSG Bobby Beiswanger4th Ranger Training Brigade
1991Canceled due to Operation Desert Storm.
1992SFC Tom WilburnAFC Alven Brashier5th Ranger Training Brigade
1993CPT Blain ReevesSSG Erik Wilson4th Ranger Training Brigade
1994CPT Edward Garcia1LT Michael Richardson 82nd Airborne Division
1995SSG Eric WhiteCPT Michael Trisler 25th Infantry Division
1996SSG Jeff Struecker SPC Isaac Gmazel 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment
19972LT Jay Hansen2LT Chris Robershaw 101st Airborne Division
1998SFC Eric RileySSG Thomas Smith4th Ranger Training Brigade
1999SSG Kevin TeranSSG Jim MoranRanger Training Brigade
20002LT Mark Messerschmitt2LT AhernInfantry Officer Basic Course Detachment
2001GYSGT Keith OakesSFC William Patterson5th Ranger Training Battalion
2002CPT Duane PatinSSG Daniel Jenkins5th Ranger Training Battalion
2003Canceled due to the Invasion of Iraq
2004SSG Colin BoleySSG Adam Nash 75th Ranger Regiment
2005CPT Corbett McCallumSFC Gerald Nelson4th Ranger Training Battalion
2006SFC John SheafferSPC Mikhail Venikov 75th Ranger Regiment
2007MAJ Liam CollinsMSG Walter Zajkowski United States Special Operations Command
2008SSG Shayne CherrySSG Michael Broussard 75th Ranger Regiment
2009SFC Blake SimmsSFC Chad Stackpole Ranger Training Brigade
2010MSG Eric TurkMSG Eric Ross United States Special Operations Command
2011MSG Eric TurkMSG Walter Zajkowski United States Special Operations Command
2012MSG Kevin FoutzSFC Thomas Payne United States Special Operations Command
2013SFC Raymond SantiagoSFC Timothy Briggs Ranger Training Brigade
20142LT Michael Rose2LT John Bergman 25th Infantry Division
2015SFC Timothy BriggsSFC Jeremy LemmaAirborne & Ranger Training Brigade
2016CPT Robert KillianSSG Erich Friedlein Army National Guard
2017MSG Joshua HorsagerCPT Michael Rose 75th Ranger Regiment
2018SFC Joshua RolfesSFC Anthony AllenAirborne and Ranger Training Brigade
2019CPT Michael RoseCPT John Bergman 101st Airborne Division
2020Cancelled due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic
20211LT Vince Paikowski1LT Alastair Keys 75th Ranger Regiment
2022CPT Joshua CorsonCPT Tymothy Boyle 75th Ranger Regiment
2023SPC Justin ReinCPT Luke Ebeling 75th Ranger Regiment

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References

  1. 1 2 "The Competition". US Army. Archived from the original on 25 April 2022. Retrieved March 2, 2014.
  2. Leonard, Chuck (April 11, 2018). "Military Matters: Annual Best Ranger Competition returns to Ft. Benning". WTVM . Archived from the original on 13 April 2019.
  3. 1 2 Myers, Meghann (April 13, 2018). "Best Ranger competition kicks off with first Coastie, Army Cyber teams". Army Times . Archived from the original on 29 August 2022.
  4. "Sergeant Major Thomas P. Payne to receive the Medal of Honor from President Trump on 9/11/2020". US Army. Archived from the original on 18 May 2021. Retrieved September 10, 2020.
  5. 1 2 "Past Competition Winners". Best Ranger Competition. Archived from the original on 30 March 2022.