FORT BENNING, Ga. (Army News Service, April 22, 2008) -- Gen. George W. Casey Jr. applauds Staff Sgts. Michael Broussard (left) and Shayne Cherry for capturing the top spot in the 2008 David E. Grange Jr. Best Ranger Competition held April 18-20 at Fort Benning, Ga. Broussard and Cherry, who represented the 75th Ranger Regiment, competed with other Soldier-Ranger-athlete teams in 22 around-the-clock Ranger Olympic events that tested to the extreme their physical, mental and technical abilities as Rangers. Photo by J.D. Leipold
Apr 22, 2008
BY Fort Benning PAO
FORT BENNING, Ga. (Army News Service, April 22, 2008) --- A team representing the 75th Ranger Regiment won the 2008 Best Ranger Competition which ended Sunday at Fort Benning after 60 hours of competition.
Staff Sgt. Shayne Cherry, of Monroe Neb., and Staff Sgt. Michael Broussard, of Brentwood, Calif., bested a field of 29 teams which started the competition Friday.
Brothers Maj. Gregory Soule, a Reserve Officer Training Corps instructor at James Madison University, and Capt. Jeff Soule, who is assigned to Fort Benning’s Ranger Training Brigade, took second place. The Soules are natives of Baldwin, Maryland.
In third place was another team representing the 75th Ranger Regiment, Sgt. 1st Class Jeremiah Beck, of Fort Collins, Colo., and Sgt. Jeremy Billings, of Fairmount, Ind.
Army Chief of Staff Gen. George W. Casey Jr. presided at the Best Ranger Competition award ceremony at 1 p.m. Monday at the Ranger Memorial on main post.
Of the 28 teams which started the 2008 Best Ranger Competition, only 16 finished. The three-day Best Ranger Competition was established in 1982 and has been compared to Ironman and Eco-Challenge competitions.
The competition challenges two-man Ranger teams in events that test their physical conditioning, Ranger skills and team strategies. The events are purposely scheduled back-to-back and around the clock for 60 hours, allowing little time for rest and meals.
All competitors are Ranger-qualified, successful graduates of Fort Benning’s Ranger School.
For more information and photos on the Best Ranger Competition, see Best Rangers Finish Weekend of Competition
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Best Ranger Competition
Labels: Army Rangers, Best Ranger, Fort Benning, Good News, US Army