FORT BENNING, Ga., - Army National Guard teams from North Carolina and Rhode Island finished 10th and 14th, respectively, in the 27th annual David E. Grange Jr. Best Ranger competition held at Fort Benning, Ga., over the weekend.
More than 40 two-man Ranger teams from around the Army began the grueling three-day event on May 7. On average, only one-fourth of the teams that enter the contest will finish the last event.
"Finishing this event is a monumental accomplishment," said Army Lt. Col. Robert Harris, the commander of the ARNG Warrior Training Center at Fort Benning, Ga. "We at WTC are extremely proud of our ARNG teams. They have demonstrated again how effective, viable, and capable our ARNG is as an operational force, even in the elite ranger community."
The North Carolina team of Capt. Robert May and 1st Sgt. Kevin Dylus and the Rhode Island team of Capt. Christopher J. Ahlemeyer and Staff Sgt. SSG Robert Tobin were challenged by events that tested their physical conditioning, Ranger skills and team strategies.
Three hours into the first day, teams had completed a four-mile buddy run, swam 250 meters, ran another three miles and were about to carry a stretcher weighing 150 pounds before completing an urban obstacle course. The events are purposely scheduled back-to-back and around the clock from the start of the competition to the finish line, event organizers said.
Following the urban obstacle course, teams tackled orienteering, or land navigation. In orienteering, Soldiers maneuvered from one point to another using only a map, a compass and a protractor, and meet various other checkpoints along the way. The next three events of day one tested the Ranger teams' weapons knowledge and shooting skills, followed by a three-mile buddy run and a helicopter spot jump.
The final event of day one was a foot march, which is both physically and mentally challenging because the distance is unknown, Soldiers are already exhausted and they still have two days left in the competition. Last year, the foot march was 18 miles.
"Soldiers will have about 17 miles on their feet before the start of the foot march tonight," said Army Capt. John Vickery, Best Ranger project officer. "Going into the foot march Soldiers are told to do their best and the top 28 teams will place."
On the second day, 26 teams out of the 40 that started the competition were still in the quest for the title. Although the points weren't posted, MSGs Eric Turk and Eric Ross, Team 6, with the U.S. Special Operations Command had the lead. The North Carolina and Rhode Island Guard teams were ninth and 16th, respectively.
The Day 1 events took a significant toll on the competitors, said Vickery. The events leading up to the 13-mile road march were longer than in the past, putting around 17 miles on their feet before the road march.
One team fell out during the buddy run. Another went out during the orienteering.
"We'd lost a handful (of teams) before the road march started, and the road march took another handful," Vickery said.
Historically, the BRC starts with a buddy run of unknown distance. This year, it was seven miles and included a 250-meter swim.
Other Day Stakes events included weapons assembly, throwing grenades, a stress shoot, ranger first responder, the Tri Tower challenge and two mystery events.
One of the mystery events this year was to enter and clear a building - using combatives.
At the end of the Day Stakes, Vickery said all 26 teams were a go for the night orienteering, which typically ends the competition for another two or three teams. The teams finished the orienteering at Camp Darby, where Day 3 started Sunday with the Darby Queen.
Harris said he hopes to see many more ARNG teams compete in the event next year. The ARNG WTC will hold tryouts in the late fall of this year.
(Editor's note: MCoE Public Affairs and Lori Egan of the Fort Benning public affairs office contributed to this report.)