The Army’s David E. Grange, Jr. Best Ranger Competition is a three-day (62 hour), two-man team gauntlet of physical, mental, and emotionally challenging events meant to test the mettle, technical skills, and tactical proficiency of the competitors. The first requirement to compete – being Ranger Qualified, meaning that you are a graduate of the U.S. Army Ranger School. The 2019 Best Ranger Competition begins on Friday, April 12. The Company Leader conducted an interview with Mark Gaudet, a four-time BRC finisher and member the 2016 5th Place Team. Below are his answers, insights, and recommendations.
1. What is the best way to prepare for the Best Ranger Competition?
In my opinion, to be a contender in this competition, preparation should begin 5 to 6 months prior to BRC. The train up began for my teams in November. We re-familiarized ourselves on Ranger skills and built an endurance base. We held formalized training three days a week from 0600-0800 and our average mileage ranged between 30-50 miles per week. Each Monday, we introduced a skill (knots, poncho raft, call for fire, grenades, etc.) and focused solely on that specific task for the entire week. With each passing week, we’d focus on a new skill while attempting to maintain proficiency in the others. Repetition is critical and simulating competition conditions is equally as important. 90-minute runs may end with an all-out effort through an obstacle course. Or, a high intensity grip intensive workout may end with knots or weapons assembly, events requiring dexterity.
After holiday leave, our training intensified. We conducted 5-day a week PT, increased daily mileage, added two-a-days, and incorporated weekend endurance events. Our average mileage ranged between 50-90 miles a week. To break up the monotony, we competed in local marathons, obstacle course races, and extended duration adventure races. Additionally, each month we executed a “Mini Competition” to simulate portions of the competition and determine team pairings. Our taper period would begin about two weeks prior to the competition when we arrived at Fort Benning to acclimate to the weather. The regimen proved successful as the training contributed to numerous BRC event wins including multiple buddy run and Rippetoe awards, the honor given to the foot march champions. A snapshot of a week in our training can be seen below.
2. What advice do you have for units who want to develop competitive teams for BRC?
This is a difficult question to answer. Select units are given such a competitive advantage based on their location, resources, and being privy to insider BRC information, that other units are often forced to match or exceed the level of commitment just to contend. However, in my opinion, there is a proper way to build program without creating professional BRC competitors who contribute little to the larger mission of the Army. It is possible to keep competitors in position and outperform units who place their teams on special duty for months prior to the competition. This has always been a part of the challenge that motivated me and my partners. It requires immense commitment from the competitors and unwavering support from the chain of command.
What units can do to build programs is to first assign a senior NCO, ideally a former Ranger Instructor or previous competitor, as the BRC coach. The coach’s job consists of seeking out existing training opportunities for competitors to piggy-back on, planning training, and serving as the liaison for correspondence with Division leadership and the Airborne and Ranger Training Brigade (ARTB). This allows competitors to continue working their “real” jobs and freeing them from the time-consuming administrative tasks.
Create a BRC Kit Bag
Next, I recommend creating a “BRC kit” at the brigade and/or division-level to be passed on to the team each year. Our kit consisted of:
- aviator kit bags
- ropes
- carabiners
- SKEDCOs
- Talon litters
- various ammo cans
- grenade bodies
- rubber ducks
- medical supply
- air items (not required since 2016)
- mini competition CONOPs
- components of the packing list which are generally unexpended each year
Leverage Resources
Lastly, units should leverage on-post training resources and seek out local partnership opportunities. We established relationships with a local climbing and ninja warrior training facility and with the Kansas State Athletic Training Department. At K-State, we participated in weekly sessions with the strength and conditioning, athletic training, sports psychology, and nutrition staffs.
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Ultimately, the most important factor in fielding a competitive team is support from the chain of command. You have to make minor accommodations to facilitate training during PT. Further accomodations include allowing competitors to workout during pauses in training exercises and facilitating extended lunches to get some repetition in the call for fire simulator or Medical Support Training Center (MSTC). I was incredibly fortunate to have this support from my chain of command each year, which allowed me to compete three times as a company commander without neglecting my primary duties as an Infantry officer.
3. What is the best and worst part of the competition?
My favorite part…
It’s mentally and physically challenging, requiring you to push the mind and body beyond a point that it has ever been. After pushing these limits, realizing what you’re truly capable of, and hardening the mind, it puts a lot of the discomforts we endure in the Army in perspective. We always have these experiences to fall back on when we are cold, tired, and hungry in training or in combat. Furthermore, the camaraderie within a fierce competition is something I will always cherish. During competitor week, many of the teams remain isolated and tend to size each other up.
The respect and friendship…
However, once the competition starts, there is a sense of respect and friendship that develops across the field. I found it incredible to be surrounded by like-minded Soldiers who chose to put their bodies through the rigors of BRC. The third aspect that stands out to me is the feeling of completing the competition. I equate it to reliving the feeling of graduating from Ranger School all over again. It is a feeling of elation with a deep sense of gratitude and appreciation for your partner, family, the profession, and the Ranger community.
The technical difficulty…
Easily the most difficult part of this competition is the night land navigation event on the second night. Ruck marching through the night on day one is a solid challenge, but walking and trotting for 8-12 hours on a second consecutive night without sleep after already covering 50+ miles is an entirely different level of misery. Last year, ARTB transported the 16 remaining teams to Dahlonega, GA for the night orienteering event. We faced unfamiliar mountainous terrain, circumstances requiring us to maintain an increased level of alertness due to unfamiliarity, and a dilemma at each point. Cover a shorter distance and battle the ascents, descents, and stream crossings or stick to the trails and cover 2 to 3 times the distance? There was no right decision.
4. What advice do you have for the aspiring BRC competitor?
Go for it. Even if your organization doesn’t select you, train with the team to push yourself and prepare for the next opportunity. Last season, we had seven Rangers competing for four slots. Even after we selected teams, all seven Rangers continued to train up to the start of the competition. We didn’t just have alternatives prepared in the event of illness or injury. We had more Rangers challenging us and motivating us through every workout. This training translates across our profession and will make you a stronger Soldier and person.
As far as training goes, I am a strong proponent for limiting the mileage under heavy load. Supplement foot marching with other forms of cardiovascular training. For example, instead of executing a 20-mile foot march, do the following:
- Foot march 10 miles
- Drop rucks
- Run 10 more miles in OCP ACUs and boots
- Jump in the pool to extend the duration of the workout to match the 20-mile foot march
Find the fine line between conditioning/ preparing the body and breaking it down.
Additionally, maximize marksmanship training on the ranges. In full disclosure, this is what prevented my teams from placing higher. The BRC sometimes weights these events disproportionately, with increased opportunity for penalties. This is often where competitors win or lose the BRC. Practice with as many weapons systems as possible. Shoot from different firing positions. Master the ability to zero both partner’s M4s with 9 rounds in less than 2 minutes.
5. What are your predictions for this year?
I see Team 19 (101st Airborne Division) as the heavy favorite. These teammates won together in 2014 and one of the partners had a second win in 2017. After that team, I expect strong finishes from the 75th Ranger Regiment (Team 37), ARTB (Team 45), USASOC (Team 36), and the National Guard (Team 49). My sleeper team to watch is Team 48 out of the U.S. Military Academy – West Point. Overall, the competition is wide open.
Only 11-teams have a partner with BRC experience. In past years, there were an average of 20-teams with experience, and almost all of them finished. This is due to an ARTB implemented rule prohibiting competitors participating in BRC more than three times. I’m thrilled for a new group of Rangers to share this incredible experience, but hope to see the BRC rescind this rule by next year. Best of luck to all! RLTW!
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