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Cherry, Broussard take Best Ranger

FORT BENNING, Ga. — Within minutes of winning the Best Ranger Competition, Staff Sgts. Michael Broussard and Shayne Cherry, both 24, emerged from a medical tent looking like they were ready for another obstacle course.

After embracing family and friends, the members of Team 5 representing the 75th Ranger Regiment spoke to members of the media in relatively dry shirts with hardly a bead of sweat across their brow.

“I feel good,” Cherry said.

Broussard and Cherry emerged victorious in the 25th annual David E. Grange, Jr. Best Ranger Competition at Fort Benning, Ga., following a grueling three days of field exercises and obstacle courses. Only 16 of the 28 teams that entered the event finished, with many exiting slowly from the medical tent with white medical gauze on their arms from intravenous injections — evidence of the physical tax of the competition.

When asked how he felt about the victory after three months of near nonstop training, Broussard said, “Obviously, it was vindicating. We started off back in February, and we said to each other, not in an arrogant way, but ‘we’re doing this to win.’”

Their wives were equally excited about the results — and the finality of the race.

“I’m just very proud of him because they really did work hard and were very determined,” said Shayne’s wife, Amanda, as she cradled their 2-1/2-year-old baby, Ashton, behind a yellow rope dividing the competition area from the crowd. “I’m relieved that the training is over. … It will be nice to have my husband back.”

Coming in second place were brothers Capt. Jeff Soule, 25, and Maj. Greg Soule, 32, of Team 3 representing the Reserved Officers’ Training Corps at James Madison University in Virginia. The two were separated nearly all of training, with Jeff in Georgia and Greg in Virginia.

“I definitely didn’t expect to be finishing second,” Greg said as he pushed his 3-month-old baby, Addison, in a stroller toward the awards reception. “We didn’t have any time to train together really, about a few days a month. I was expecting to have a few more blisters on my feet.

“But what we did this weekend, my whole body is beat down,” he said. “I just want to go sit down. I’m walking around like I got pins sticking into my feet.”

His brother, meanwhile, walked to the awards ceremony and barbecue afterward with a limp and lingering cough. When one of his family members asked if he wanted food, he said, “Yeah, but not coleslaw, just meat.” Greg said he was most looking forward to a beer.

Finishing in third place were Sgt. 1st Class Jeremiah Beck and Sgt. Jeremy Billings, 23, of Team 9 representing the 75th Ranger Regiment.

The first-, second- and third-place teams ran across the finish line together. Many teams finished with their rifles held high in the air. The soldiers, family and friends attended an awards ceremony afterward with barbecue food, cold ice tea and beer. Gifts were distributed to the 16 finishing teams.

Cherry and Broussard won the bronze boot award for the road march, a nighttime trek that took place on Friday night. This year’s march came after a day of grueling activities beneath an aggressive Georgia sun. All 12 teams that didn’t finish the competition were eliminated during the road march, which was shortened from the scheduled 30 miles to just 16 miles due to the high dropout rate, soldiers said.

The Soule brothers won the competition’s award for orienteering after an impressive showing in Saturday night’s land navigation course. Soldiers were required to find points they plotted on a map across miles of difficult terrain without flashlights or any kind of illumination devices.

“They’re not allowed to turn on any lights,” said Capt. Kent Keirsey, a Ranger instructor for the 5th Ranger Training Battalion. “They’re only allowed to use ambient light, so they have to be spot on. … They had great illumination last night. That moon was up all night.”

A formal awards ceremony for the winners will be held 1 p.m. Monday. Army Chief of Staff Gen. George Casey is scheduled to speak.

Final scores and rankings

Check out reporter Brendan McGarry’s blog from Benning:

http://www.militarytimes.com/blogs/notebook/.

Read previous stories:

• Soldiers eye Best Ranger prize

• Road march eliminates 12 teams in Best Ranger

See the original roster of teams competing in Best Ranger:

http://www.armytimes.com/projects/army/bestranger/08/teams/.