Photo By Corinna Baltos | First Lt. Christopher Paul, 3rd Brigade, 1st Armored Division, fires a 9mm pistol,...... read more read more
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FORT BLISS, TEXAS – “Sua Sponte,” or in English “Of their own accord,” is the motto of the U.S. Army Rangers. Of their own accord nine Rangers from the first Armored Division competed to determine who the most elite Solider in the grueling 36-hour 1st AD Iron Ranger Competition held Oct. 27-29. When the competition was over, 1st Lt. Christian Groom, 2nd Brigade, Ist AD was named the winner.
Groom, along with the second place finisher 1st Lt. Paul Cortez, 1st Battalion, 1st AD, will represent Fort Bliss at the 2016 David E. Grange Best Ranger competition at Fort Benning in April.
The competition tested the Rangers’ intelligence, mental toughness, personal courage, discipline and motivation through a series of seven different events. These events included a; Ranger physical fitness assessment (RFPA), a distance swim, their ability to negotiate an obstacle course, advanced marksmanship, Ranger stakes, a 12-mile ruck march and night into day land navigation.
“This is a lot harder than I thought it would be,” said Cortez, as he hauled himself out of the pool after swimming close to a mile in his full uniform. “These boots add a lot of drag, especially right after the RPFA.”
While Groom and Cortez can bask in the knowledge that they are the among the best at Fort Bliss, they have a long journey ahead of them as they prepare for the Best Ranger competition at Fort Benning.
Capt. Mark Patton, the officer-in-charge of the competition, stated that now that the two-man buddy team, as well as alternates had been identified, their primary focus over the next few months will be training for the competition.
| Date Taken: | 10.28.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 11.03.2015 15:14 |
| Story ID: | 180766 |
| Location: | EL PASO, TEXAS, US |
| Web Views: | 907 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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