WRBL works out with Rangers, ride in a tank at Fort Moore
FORT MOORE, Ga. (WRBL) — Would you take the chance to train like a Ranger if you got it? Fort Moore invited a select group of media representatives to get a rare chance to experience what some soldiers do each day.
WRBL’s Kevin Roble and Olivia Yepez jumped at the opportunity to take a break from their regular work days and come to Fort Moore for a rare chance at experiencing a little of what competitors in the U.S. Army’s Infantry- and Armor Week events do for work instead.
INFANTRY WEEK: Best Ranger Competition kicks off at Fort Moore
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The morning started with an early PT session alongside members of the 75th Ranger Regiment – it wasn’t easy.
We got to do an abbreviated version of a workout which Rangers might do on a regular training morning. The session involved sled pushes and a relay race through what Rangers call “The Punisher.”
After the session, we spoke with Command Sgt. Maj. Kevin Foutz with the 75th Ranger Regiment and 2012 winner of the Best Ranger Competition. He explained why physical training for Rangers in unique and essential for the job.
“Like Ranger Regiment is awesome cuz it’s one standard across the board. Doesn’t matter how old you are, what your job is or any of those things,” Foutz said.
He continued, “That’s one of the things that I think is best about Ranger Regiment and Rangers, we’re all the same standard.”
The media day also included jumps from the 34-foot towers used by the Airborne and Ranger Training Brigade (ARTB).
We geared up in harnesses and helmets and got ready to launch from a platform holding our reserve chutes to our chests and maintaining and L-shape to limit motion as we went down an apparatus resembling a zipline.
According to Fort Moore officials, the 34-foot jump towers are engineered specifically to mimic a brief free fall. They are used to train up for using the 250-foot jump towers and eventually parachute jumps from an aircraft.
Following the jumps, each media teams in attendance also had the opportunity to take a two-mile tank ride in and Abrams used by armor-specialized soldiers at Fort Moore.
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While Infantry Week, including the Best Ranger Competition runs April 7-15, Armor Week kicks off at the end of the month, on April 29.
That event will include the Sullivan cup, where the best Abrams, Bradley and striker teams from across the Army will compete.
WRBL spoke to Brig. Gen. Michael Simmering about the April competitions.
“I think it’s fun to watch soldiers go through any sort of competition, whether it’s Infantry Week or Armor Week,” Simmering said. “Our soldiers have such a competitive spirit, which is quite honestly what you need in the United States Army.”
In true Army fashion, we ended the morning of events by having a lunch of Meals Ready to Eat (MREs), which soldiers consume in the field.
Then, we went back to business as usual at WRBL.
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