FORT BENNING, Ga., - The Army National Guard made a strong showing in the 27th annual David E. Grange Jr. Best Ranger Competition here last weekend, with three teams competing against the active duty Ranger representatives.
The teams were represented by Maj. Jamison Kirby and Sgt. 1st Class Robert Hoffnagle of the Army National Guard Warrior Training Center, Capt. Robert May and 1st Sgt. Kevin Dylus of the North Carolina Army National Guard, and Capt. Christopher Ahlemeyer and Staff Sgt. Robert Tobin of the Rhode Island Army National Guard.
The competition started with 40 teams, and by the start of the third day, only 25 teams remained. Of those 25, two were National Guard teams.
"These teams represented the National Guard very well. We usually don't see a lot of National Guard teams," said Capt. John Vickery, Best Ranger Competition project officer. "Two of them finished, and the other came really close. We are really proud of the National Guard this year."
The Best Ranger Competition is a combat focused military skills competition that challenges the physical and mental endurance of each competitor in a marathon format testing the basic skills a Ranger possesses. It includes events like foot marches, distance running and swimming, orienteering, parachute jumps, obstacle courses and marksmanship.
"The competitors covered more than 60 miles on foot for over 60 hours without sleep, and very little food intake," said Vickery. "All those teams that completed the competition are really, really good teams. They represented their units well."
Coming in, May was just looking to get through the competition.
"We came in here as sort of a cherry team that hasn't competed before," May said. "Our goal was to just finish the competition by doing each event at about 70 percent and pushing a little to maintain a pace that would get us across the finish line."
Ahlemeyer echoed the sentiment.
"It was a gut check," he said. "(These events) separated the guys that were prepared mentally and physically for this from the guys that weren't."
Tobin, Ahlemeyer's teammate, added that it was about getting to the finish line and representing the National Guard well.
The team of May and Dylus representing the North Carolina National Guard finished the competition in 10th place, while Ahlemeyer and Tobin of the Rhode Island National Guard finished 14th.
Command Sgt. Maj. Dennis Smith, Ranger Training Brigade command sergeant major, praised all the teams that were able to complete this grueling competition.
"Just to finish it is saying a lot," he said. "These competitors are the best of the best."