MILITARY MATTERS: Fort Benning Leaders Preview Infantry Week Competitions

FORT BENNING, Ga. (WTVM) - We are just a few weeks away from some exciting competitions on Fort Benning. Infantry Week includes the battle for Best Ranger. We’ve got more details, including how you can watch some of the action.

“In Army, the culture’s about winning. There’s no 2nd place in our business. As our chief of staff says, winning matters. What this is...infantry week is an opportunity for folks from across the Army, other services, our partners and allies to come out here and demonstrate their skills,” US Army Infantry School Commandant Brigadier General Larry Burris said.

Getting wet and dirty and exhausted will be part of 4 different competitions on Fort Benning from April 10th through 17th.

Soldiers from all over the U.S. Army and other countries will showcase combat skills in the Lacerda Cup. There’s also 4 days and nights of shooting in the International Sniper competition, along with the Best Mortar Competition for the first time in 6 years.

“We’ve got right now 12 mortar teams from across the Army and the Netherlands coming in,” BG Burris told us. “It’s not only a mental test but assessing all facets of tactical, technical and physical events, been preparing for them every day out,” , Infantry Week Competitor 1st Lt. Matthew Blaser said.

He and other competitors have personal trainers and coaches in this attempt to be the “best of the best.” Infantry Week closes with the famous Best Ranger competition, whose namesake Ranger legend, Lieutenant David Grange, Jr. passed away last Fall.

“It’s fitting that we honor general Grange with this competition (Best Ranger), which started back in 1982,” BG Burris said. People in the Chattahoochee Valley have the opportunity to watch part of that Best Ranger Competition on that Saturday, April 15.

BG Burris added, “Most of the events that day (April 15) will occur in and around McClung Stadium (in Columbus), again another great opportunity for folks to come out and meet the Army out there. We’ll have static displays...soldiers out there...vendors supporting the competition.”

And the public will also get to see some of their hand-to-hand combat on Thursday April 13 at Columbus Ironworks.

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