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UD alum to be featured on 'Best Ranger' program
4:51 p.m., July 6, 2006--University of Delaware alum John Sheaffer will be featured in a three-hour presentation, “Best Ranger 2006,” beginning at 8 p.m., Monday, July 10, on the Military Channel (Comcast 112 in New Castle County). A sergeant first class in the U.S. Army's 75th Ranger Regiment who graduated from UD in 1996 with a bachelor's degree in history, Sheaffer was part of a two-man team that won top honors in the 2006 Best Ranger competition held at Fort Benning, Ga. Sheaffer's partner in the 60-hour military skills marathon was 22-year-old Spc. Mikhail Venikov. In an article in the May 8 issue of Army Times, Sheaffer 32, a native of Milford, said, “I can't describe first place. It's awesome.” The three-days-plus event, which concluded on April 23, is designed to test the mental and physical stamina of members of the elite unit while determining the best two-man team in the country. Among the 18 events that comprise the competition are a 20-mile night march, a pugil-sticks duel, machine gun, carbine and pistol marksmanship and a simulated-combat medevac challenge. “It's just incredible for John to be in this competition,” John's father Jack Scheaffer, of Milford, said. “It's like getting a gold medal in the Olympics.” Elsie Jackson, a public affairs specialist at Fort Benning, Ga., Sheaffer's home base, said, “People talk about the iron-man competition. “These guy do iron-man to warm up.” Kicking off from 5-6 a.m., on a Friday, the competition ends on a Sunday evening, Jackson said. “The first night they do one event, usually a road march, 15-20 miles through the night,” Jackson said. “The second night it's night navigators, where it's you and your partner and a map and a compass.” The night navigators' event could range from 12-15 miles to more than 30 miles, Jackson said. “”They probably walk 60-70 miles in the weekend easily, and they're carrying about 75 pounds worth of stuff,” Jackson said. “They also jump out of helicopters, do a lot of shooting and obstacle courses.” Commentary on the Best Ranger competition during the three-hour program will be provided Capt. Marc Messerschmitt, a former Best Ranger competition winner, and Sgt. 1st Class Gerry Nelson, part of the 2005 Best Ranger winning team. The competition, which began in 1982, is so intense that of the 26 teams that competed in this year's event, only 15 teams finished. Competitors remain unaware of the test sequence until arriving at the test site. The competition, which has an average attrition rate of about 60 percent, consists of physical and mental tasks that offer few opportunities for rest between events. With a motto of “Rangers Lead the Way!” U.S. Army Rangers are active-duty military personnel who can be called to war on a moment's notice. For more information on the competition, as well as photos from this year's Best Ranger competition, visit [www.army.mil/ranger]. For more information on the Military Channel's broadcast of the 2006 Best Ranger Competition, visit [http://military.discovery.com/convergence/bestranger06/events/events.html]. Article by Jerry Rhodes and Kathy Canavan |
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