Nineteen teams will compete this week at Fort Benning, Georgia, for the title of Best Scout Squad.

The 2015 William J. Gainey Cup competition is a four-day event that will pit 19 six-man cavalry scout teams against each other in back-to-back events.

The first event will begin at 6 a.m. Tuesday. The competition will wrap up Friday morning, and a formal awards ceremony will take place shortly afterward.

This is the second year the event has taken place. The competition, also known as the Gainey Cup Competition, was established to physically and mentally challenge all troopers by testing their knowledge, tactical competence and fortitude in the fundamentals of reconnaissance and security operations. The event also brings together cavalrymen in a healthy, competitive environment, according to the competition's website.

The competition was named after retired Command Sgt. Maj. William "Joe" Gainey, who served as the first Senior Enlisted Advisor to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He retired in April 2008 after nearly 33 years of service and several combat deployments.

Units participating this year include the 82nd Airborne Division, the Army National Guard, the 25th Infantry Division, the 10th Mountain Division, and the 1st Cavalry Division. A team from the Canadian army also will compete this year.

The competition is open to the public, and several events are spectator friendly, officials said.

For more information on the schedule of events, visit the Fort Benning Facebook page.

Family members and friends are encouraged to tweet updates on their teams during the competition using the hashtag #2015GaineyCup, @Fort Benning.

About Michelle Tan

Michelle Tan is the editor of Army Times and Air Force Times. She has covered the military for Military Times since 2005, and has embedded with U.S. troops in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, Haiti, Gabon and the Horn of Africa.

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