Best Ranger Competition 2009-Day 1

Best Ranger Competition 2009 kicked off this morning at 0600 this morning. There were 49 teams competing, 8 of these teams consisted of Regimental teams(those from either 1/75, 2/75, 3/75, 75th RGR RGT or 75th RGR STB) the other 41 teams are those from other Infantry Units that are Ranger qualified.

At 0600 this morning the Rangers took off on their buddy run around Camp Darby (which is where Ranger School activities take place) this run took them through swamps and other nasty conditions. One team was out due to heat exhaustion after the buddy run. The buddy run ended at the Darby Queen, for those that do not know the Darby Queen is the Army's toughest obstacle course. The Darby Queen did it's job and took another 2 teams out of the competition, however after the Darby Queen a RGT team was in the lead, followed in 9th place by another RGT team. The RGT team in 9th place was our friend DeLeon and after their amazing run of 20 minutes at the Darby Queen they should be a lot closer to the top spot. The results are delayed until after the spectator events and then they will be updated later this evening. After the Darby Queen they were supposed to jump into Lee DZ, but the jump was called off due to a low ceiling(it was really foggy) so instead they just helicoptered them in.

(5 teams being helicoptered in to Lee DZ)

After the teams were helicoptered in they grabbed a litter packed with sandbags (to represent and injured comrade) and they had to buddy run that to the finish spot for that event.

(The teams beginning their litter carry)

(DeLeon and partner after the buddy run/litter carry)

From there they ran about 2-3 miles to the ranges, there were 3 different range events. The machine gun range. The second range was the stress shoot, where they ran another 2 miles and then shot the 240, Saw, M4 and pistols. The third range was a moving target range.

(Machine gun range)

(240 range)

After the ranges the men were off to land navigation and a night foot march. Those are not spectator events. Subsequently another team was disqualified sometime between Darby Queen and the ranges. There are now 45 teams left in the challenge. Tomorrow at 0800 the spectator events take place again, those are Day Stakes, Tri-Tower challenge and another stress shoot. We will be out there again tomorrow!!!!

Of course I could not leave you without pictures of the boys at the events!

(Baby C at the ranges with is ear plugs)

(T at the ranges)

(T doing his own stress shoot, while waiting for DeLeon to come through)
Until tomorrow....RLTW!