1715 hours and it is hot, hot, hot

The skies cleared and the sun is beating down on the Best Ranger teams and spectators. Thankfully, if you are in the shade there's a nice breeze, which is great for the friends and families fortunate enough to be here to support their Rangers.
The teams are making their way through a series of marksmanship challenges. Most of them are through the first two ranges and about a third of the competitors have made it through the last event of the day. To get there they had to finish all of the marksmanship challenges, then make their way through the woods instead of walking on the road like they've been doing for most of the day to the litter carry.
When they reached the litter carry event, they were confronted by a "seriously injured casualty" who looked a lot like the first aid dummies you learn CPR on. They had to administer first aid, build a field expedient litter out of poles and blankets and then move the "casualty." Of course, this is the Best Ranger Competition so as an added bonus, a simulated IED went off shortly after they picked up the litter to evacuate the "casualty." This means that the team had to stop and reassess the casualty before continuing to move him. All this while still hauling a full rucksack, camelbacks filled with water and their weapons!
At last check, the night road march will start at around 8:30 p.m. tonight. Mixed in with a lot of mileage will be some additional Ranger tasks that the teams will have to perform in near darkness.
Tomorrow morning will find the teams surviving the road march on Todd Field in Harmony Church for Ranger Day Stakes.
There are 45 teams still in the mix. Best guess has it that there will be a little more than half that number starting day stakes tomorrow.

The Darby Queen takes its toll

The Darby Queen lived up to its reputation as the Army's toughest obstacle course this morning. At last count, three more teams were forced to withdraw from the Best Ranger Competition due to injuries sustained on the 1 1/4 mile long course. There are now 45 of 49 teams in the competition.
Team 41's SSG Tony C. Eshoo (4th Ranger Training Bn.) and Team 48' Capt Michael A. Hamilton (1st Infantry) were injured on the Island Hopper obstacle. Team 19 (101st) was eliminated on the aptly named "Tough One."
The first teams to finish the Darby Queen were trucked to Lee Drop Zone, but the ceiling has now lifted and teams are being flown to Lee Drop Zone but they are not jumping.
Once the teams are on the DZ they are putting their equipment on litters and carrying them to a finish line. From there they take off on a buddy run toward the Malone Complex for a series of marksmanship events, with a little orienteering exercise thrown in.
Team 27, Staff Sgt Ben and Staff Sgt Ian Hunter are on the front page of today's Columbus Ledger-Enquirer (www.ledger-enquirer.com). Their family members are following their progress today in vehicles declaring their support for "daddy, "Uncle Ben" and "Uncle Ian."
Other families are wearing T-shirts with their Soldiers' names, team numbers and units.
As of now, the last of the teams have made their way to Lee Drop Zone.

The Competition is ON!

Forty nine teams started the competition this morning. At the end of the first event, a four-mile buddy run around Camp Darby which took the teams through a swamp, 48 were still standing. Team 9, Capt Eric T. Lo and 1st Lt Mason N. Ward from the 101st, is out of the competition.
Top three teams at the end of the buddy run -
1st - Team 8, Staff Sgt Brandon K. Farmer and Staff Sgt Luke R. McDowell, 75th
2nd - Team 22, Master Sgt Walter J. Zajkowski and Master Sgt Daniel E. Jenkins, US Army Special Operations Command
3rd - Team 46, Cap Robert F. Linn and 1st Sgt Robert F. Carter, 5th Bde, 2 ID
The teams are being sent out on the Darby Queen obstacle course.
Due to low ceiling and poor visibility, the spot jump has been cancelled. Teams will be trucked to Lee Drop Zone and the competition will pick up from there.