U.S. Army Spc. Mikhail Venikov, winner of the 2006 Best Ranger Competition, said learning the virtues of discipline and hard work helped him win the title. U.S. Army photo by Don Kramer

By Don Kramer
Fort Lewis Northwest Guardian

FORT LEWIS, Wash., June 19, 2006 — Old-world values translated to excellence recently for one Fort Lewis Ranger.

Spc. Mikhail Venikov learned the virtues of discipline and hard work from his father before the family immigrated to America from Kazakhstan in 1989. It was those virtues, he said, that helped him earn the title Best Ranger of 2006.

The victory made a reality out of a dream that began when he saw the competition on television soon after he arrived in the United States as a young boy.

"I’ve always wanted to do it," Venikov said, "even before I joined the Army."

Young Venikov grew up doing push-ups, sit-ups, pull-ups and honing his mental toughness. His father was a former Soviet special forces soldier, who was taught his children traditional values.

"It was very strict, old world," Venikov said of his upbringing. "We learned military values."

But those things paid off when he embarked on the Best Ranger Competition. Two events that challenged Venikov the most were the road march with a 70-pound rucksack, water and weapon on the first night, and the land navigation course on the second.

Venikov is now at the end of his first enlistment, during which he’s deployed twice to Iraq and once to Afghanistan. Although he’s weighing all his options for the future, he said he’ll always be grateful to the Army and America for his family’s chance at freedom. He said he appreciates the nation’s effort to spread freedom overseas and is proud to have been a part of it.

"I think what we’re doing (in Iraq and Afghanistan) is great,” said Venikov. "I personally think people should serve their country somehow. I thank America for everything it has done for me and am glad for a chance to serve."