Military

Team 34 From the 75th Ranger Regiment Wins 2021 Best Ranger Competition

April 19, 2021Marty Skovlund Jr.
Photos by Spc. Landon Carter/75th Ranger Regiment.

Photos by Spc. Landon Carter/75th Ranger Regiment.

The 2021 David E. Grange Jr. Best Ranger Competition is over, with the title of “Best Ranger” coming back home to the 75th Ranger Regiment. Team 34’s 1st Lt. Vince Paikowski and 1st Lt. Alastair Keys were announced the victors shortly after completing the final buddy run to the finish line at Fort Benning, Georgia. Team 34 never gave up the top spot since taking it at the end of the first day of competition.


On Friday, the 37th annual event kicked off after a one-year hiatus due to COVID-19, with 51 two-man teams vying for the title. 2020 was the first year since 2003 that the event was canceled.


Team 34 hails from the 75th Ranger Regiment. Photo by Sgt. Henry Villarama/US Army.

The Best Ranger Competition is a US Army event supported by The National Ranger Association Inc. The competition is held annually and is considered one of the most physically rigorous endurance events in the military. Competitors are tested in a nonstop series of events that are meant to push them both physically and mentally, while judging their ability to execute a variety of military skills.


Paikowski and Keys will be officially announced as the 2021 Best Ranger winners during a ceremony Monday on Fort Benning. Their victory signals the first time the 75th Ranger Regiment has won since 2017, when Capt. Michael Rose and Master Sgt. Josh Horsager were crowned Best Rangers.



Marty Skovlund Jr.
Marty Skovlund Jr.

Marty Skovlund Jr. was the executive editor of Coffee or Die. As a journalist, Marty has covered the Standing Rock protest in North Dakota, embedded with American special operation forces in Afghanistan, and broken stories about the first females to make it through infantry training and Ranger selection. He has also published two books, appeared as a co-host on History Channel’s JFK Declassified, and produced multiple award-winning independent films.

More from Coffee or Die Magazine
Coffee Or Die Photo
From the Team Room to Team Room Design: An Operator’s Creative Journey

BRCC partners with Team Room Design for an exclusive T-shirt release!

Coffee Or Die Photo
Get Your Viking On: The Exclusive 30 Sec Out BRCC Shirt Club Design

Thirty Seconds Out has partnered with BRCC for an exclusive shirt design invoking the God of Winter.

Grizzly Forge BRCC shirt
Limited Edition: Grizzly Forge Blades on an Awesome BRCC Shirt

Lucas O'Hara of Grizzly Forge has teamed up with BRCC for a badass, exclusive Shirt Club T-shirt design featuring his most popular knife and tiomahawk.

BRCC Limited Edition Josh Raulerson Blackbeard Skull Shirt
From Naval Service to Creative Canvas: BRCC Veteran Artist Josh Raulerson

Coffee or Die sits down with one of the graphic designers behind Black Rifle Coffee's signature look and vibe.

Medal of Honor is held up.
Biden Will Award Medal of Honor to Army Helicopter Pilot Who Rescued Soldiers in Vietnam Firefight

Biden will award the Medal of Honor to a Vietnam War Army helicopter pilot who risked his life to save a reconnaissance team from almost certain death.

dear jack mandaville
Dear Jack: Which Historic Battle Would You Want To Witness?

Ever wonder how much Jack Mandaville would f*ck sh*t up if he went back in time? The American Revolution didn't even see him coming.

west point time capsule
West Point Time Capsule Yields Centuries-Old Coins

A nearly 200-year-old West Point time capsule that at first appeared to yield little more than dust contains hidden treasure, the US Military Academy said.

  • About Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Careers
Contact Us
Contact Us
© 2024 Coffee or Die Magazine. All Rights Reserved