- Batavia Newspaper Corporation
- The Daily News
- The LCN
Tyler Brown, a 2013 graduate of Wayland-Cohocton Central School, will represent his U.S. Army regiment in the 37th Annual David E. Grange Jr. Best Ranger Competition, to be held in April at Fort Benning in Georgia.
Brown, a first lieutenant in the U.S. Army Rangers, qualified for the competition by winning the 1st Armored Division’s Iron Ranger Competition at Fort Bliss, Texas, where the division is based.
The Best Ranger Competition is renowned for its grueling nature, tasking two-person teams to compete in runs, obstacles courses, swims and night orienteering, among others. During the course of the three-day competition, participants will traverse more than 60 miles on foot.
After graduating from high school, Brown attended SUNY Brockport, where he participated in the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps, or ROTC, program. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in history in 2017 and then enlisted in the Army.
In 2019, Brown earned his expert infantry badge and took first place during the Brigade Week competition at the Army Combat Fitness Test. For this and his many other accomplishments, Brown as recognized as the best junior officer in the 1st Division of the 36th Infantry Regiment.
Brown is the son of Terry and Trisha Brown of Wayland.
The Best Ranger Competition was named in honor of Lieutenant General David E. Grange Jr., a former director of the Ranger Department and Commanding General of Fort Benning, 2nd Infantry Division, and the United States Sixth Army.
Richard Leandri, a close personal friend of Grange, created the event as a way of honoring his contributions to the U.S. Armed Forces.
To learn more about the competition, go online to bestrangercompetition.com/.