FORT RILEY, Kan. – Two Soldiers from the 1st Infantry Division’s 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team placed fifth in the grueling Best Ranger Competition April 15-17 at Fort Benning, Georgia, the best-ever finish for a Fort Riley
team.

Capt. Mark Gaudet, 2nd Battalion, 34th Armor Regiment, and 1st Lt. Tim Nelson, 1st Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment, were one of two teams to represent the “Big Red One” and Fort Riley in the competition and took first
place in two events, the Foot March and the Buddy Run. The two received the
Russell B. Rippetoe trophy for their top Foot March time.

Of the 51 teams registered for the 33rd annual event, 22 completed the
intense competition.

Gaudet and Nelson will be honored by Maj. Gen. Wayne W. Grigsby Jr., 1st
Inf. Div. and Fort Riley commanding general, at 9:30 a.m. April 21 shortly
before a change of command ceremony in which Gaudet will take command of
Company B, 1st Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment, 1st ABCT, at the
battalion’s headquarters on Fort Riley.