Best Ranger Competition

The David E. Grange Jr. Best Ranger Competition is an annual competition held in 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]

U.S. Army Capt. James McClare and 1st Lt. Anthony Day participating in the 2016 Best Ranger Competition.

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]

CPT Mike Rose won BRC for the 3rd time in his career in 2019, making him the only Service Member to win it three times (two with the same partner, one with another), making him the Best Ranger in History. Three people have won the competition twice, all with different partners for the two victories.[2]

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 winners
YearSoldierSoldierUnit
1982 SFC Philip Sebay SFC Charles Light 3rd Ranger Company, Benning Ranger Division
1983 SSG Michael Tilson SSG Kevin Connell 2nd Ranger Company, Mountain Ranger Division
1984 SGT David Bazemore III SGT Gregory Georgevitch 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment
1985 SSG Harvey Moore, Jr. SGT Paul Scurka HHC, 75th Ranger Regiment
1986 SGT Paul Scurka SGT Bart Sexton HHC, 75th Ranger Regiment
1987 SSG Joe Ullibari SGT Ross Wilson 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment
1988 SGT John Schlichte SPC Karl Schlichte 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment
1989 SGT Guy Fichtelman SGT Mike Sonnenschein 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment
1990 SSG Mark Sheehan SSG Bobby Beiswanger 4th Ranger Training Brigade
1991 Canceled due to Operation Desert Storm.
1992 SFC Tom Wilburn AFC Alven Brashier 5th Ranger Training Brigade
1993 CPT Blain Reeves SSG Erik Wilson 4th Ranger Training Brigade
1994 CPT Edward Garcia 1LT Michael Richardson 82nd Airborne Division
1995 SSG Eric White CPT Michael Trisler 25th Infantry Division
1996 SSG Jeff Struecker SPC Isaac Gmazel 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment
1997 2LT Jay Hansen 2LT Chris Robershaw 101st Airborne Division
1998 SFC Eric Riley SSG Thomas Smith 4th Ranger Training Brigade
1999 SSG Kevin Teran SSG Jim Moran Ranger Training Brigade
2000 2LT Mark Messerschmitt 2LT Ahern Infantry Officer Basic Course Detachment
2001 GYSGT Keith Oakes SFC William Patterson 5th Ranger Training Battalion
2002 CPT Duane Patin SSG Daniel Jenkins 5th Ranger Training Battalion
2003 Canceled due to the Invasion of Iraq
2004 SSG Colin Boley SSG Adam Nash 75th Ranger Regiment
2005 CPT Corbett McCallum SFC Gerald Nelson 4th Ranger Training Battalion
2006 SFC John Sheaffer SPC Mikhail Venikov 75th Ranger Regiment
2007 MAJ Liam Collins MSG Walter Zajkowski United States Special Operations Command
2008 SSG Shayne Cherry SSG Michael Broussard 75th Ranger Regiment
2009 SFC Blake Simms SFC Chad Stackpole Ranger Training Brigade
2010 MSG Eric Turk MSG Eric Ross United States Special Operations Command
2011 MSG Eric Turk MSG Walter Zajkowski United States Special Operations Command
2012 MSG Kevin Foutz SFC Thomas Payne United States Special Operations Command
2013 SFC Raymond Santiago SFC Timothy Briggs Ranger Training Brigade
2014 2LT Michael Rose 2LT John Bergman 25th Infantry Division
2015 SFC Timothy Briggs SFC Jeremy Lemma Airborne & Ranger Training Brigade
2016 CPT Robert Killian SSG Erich Friedlein Army National Guard
2017 MSG Joshua Horsager CPT Michael Rose 75th Ranger Regiment
2018 SFC Rolfes SFC Allen Airborne and Ranger Training Brigade
2019 CPT Michael Rose CPT John Bergman 101st Airborne Division
2020 Cancelled due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic[6]

References
  1. "The Competition". Retrieved March 2, 2014.
  2. Leonard, Chuck (April 11, 2018). "Military Matters: Annual Best Ranger Competition returns to Ft. Benning". WTVM.
  3. Myers, Meghann (April 13, 2018). "Best Ranger competition kicks off with first Coastie, Army Cyber teams". ArmyTimes.
  4. "Sergeant Major Thomas P. Payne to receive the Medal of Honor from President Trump on 9/11/2020". army.mil. Retrieved September 10, 2020.
  5. "2020 Best Ranger Competition officially cancelled due to the COVID-19 Pandemic but the 2021 event planning process is underway, with a planned execution 16-18 April 2021". April 16, 2020. Retrieved October 11, 2020.
  6. "2020 Best Ranger Competition officially cancelled due to the COVID-19 Pandemic". April 16, 2020. Retrieved October 11, 2020.

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