The Lt. Gen. David E. Grange Jr.
BEST RANGER COMPETITION
Overview
Held annually at Fort Benning, the Lt. Gen. David E. Grange Jr. Best Ranger Competition is a three-day trial to determine the best Ranger-qualified members of the United States Armed Forces. The competition features two-man teams applying their technical knoweldge and testing their physical and cognitive limits in a series of tactical tasks.
2025 Winners
1st Lt. Griffin Hokanson and 1st Lt. Kevin Moore
75th Ranger Regiment
JOIN US FOR THE
41st BEST RANGER Competition
APRIL 11 - 13, 2025
Open to the public at Fort Benning, Ga., The Best Ranger Competition is a U.S. Army event that is conducted by the Airborne and Ranger Training Brigade. See the video above to view a trailer, or click the button below to see upcoming and previous year's event details.
Competition History
In July 1981, the Ranger department was asked to design and conduct a Ranger Olympics to identify the best two-man buddy team.
Lt. Gen. David E. Grange, Jr. U.S. Army photo.
From the very beginning, the objective was clear: the competition should place extreme demands on each buddy teams' physical, mental, technical and tactical skills as Rangers. The standards of performance were to test the mettle of those Ranger-qualified Soldiers who dared to compete. The Best Ranger Competition was named in honor of Lt. Gen. David E. Grange Jr., former Ranger instructor and Ranger department director, and who, at one time, commanded Fort Benning, Ga., the 2nd Infantry Division, and the U.S. Sixth Army.
Richard A. Leandri, Grange's close personal friend, formed the Chairborne Rangers of Clearwater, Fla., in 1979, to financially support the competition and provide awards to the winning teams.
In 1981, Col. Duane Cameron, commander of the Ranger department, developed the operational concept and schedule of events for the first Best Ranger Competition, which was further refined by his successor, Col. Eugene Hawkins.
In 1982, buddy teams from each of the three Ranger department divisions competed against each other in the first Best Ranger Competition. The competition expanded in 1982, to include teams from the Ranger battalions and Special Operations units throughout the Army.
In 1985, the competition was further expanded to include light infantry units, and by 1987, the increased interest in the competition resulted in an Army-wide invitation to all units with Ranger-coded positions. Many of the participating commands conduct preliminary competitions to select the teams that will represent them on Fort Benning each year, resulting in only the best Ranger-qualified Soldiers competing.
Competitor Resources
The Airborne and Ranger Training Brigade (ARTB) conducts transformational training to develop and deliver competent and capable Rangers, Parachutists, Jumpmasters, and Reconnaissance Leaders to enable the U.S. Army and the Joint Force to prevail in combat. The ARTB organizes and hosts the Best Ranger Competition. Click below to see deadlines, competitor documents, and event guidance.
COMPETITION ARTICLES FROM ARMY.MIL
Are you interested in becoming a U.S. Army Ranger?
Becoming a Ranger is an honor shared by a select few. Visit GoArmy.com to learn more about the process and requirements to becoming a member of the premiere infantry force.
Get ready to witness the ultimate test of human endurance! Regarded as the Olympics of the Armed Forces, winning this Competition is one of the greatest non-combat honors a soldier can earn. We invite you to join us at Fort Moore for the thrilling showdown of the 2024 Best Ranger Competition! Video by Samrat Hamal Dhakal - Fort Moore Public Affairs Office
FOllOW THE COMPETITION
Follow the competitors on the official Facebook page or on other platforms, get updates and share with the hash tags #BestRanger and #BestRangerCompetition. Here are some quick links: