Around 5am at the starting line on Friday, Col. Lindsay (ARTB CO) shared some remarks and then sent the competitors off on the most insane course we've ever witnessed. A few lines from his speech really resonated with us, perfectly describing the purpose of the event, the hearts of the competitors, and the reasons we were so grateful to outfit every team.
First, "Hardship is our advantage".
It's one thing to be able to overcome challenges. It's another thing entirely to seek them out with a smile on your face. BRC competitors, having already endured Ranger School (at the very least), volunteer and compete for their place on the starting line, knowing full well the ARTB staff will scheme new ways to check their egos. Collecting folks who proactively test the edges of their own limitations is a recipe for building teams that barrel through any type of problem. America's Army is in capable (and rough) hands.
Doing hard things intentionally is a great way to expand and redefine your abilities. It's the reason we produce our products here in America, where scarce resources, facilities, and skilled/trained labor make premium production a withering challenge. Adding the extra hardship of fully customized single-piece production narrows the playing field even further. Custom American production is our "Buy-In", doing what other companies can't, or won't, for units across the service.
Second, "This is where reputation meets reality."
Best Ranger is a no-talk, all-walk event. No matter the bona fides you arrive with, the course will winnow the field. There's simply no escape from the relentlessness of this event. Frankly, every competitor (including the alternates who stood ready to go if needed) has our deepest respect and admiration, but the winners and finishers took a thrashing and earned their place in the Ranger pantheon.
We've known our shirt could handle a lot, but we'd never seen anything like the opening 24 hours of BRC '26. 6 miles under a plate carrier and sand bags. Into the water for a swim to the middle of Victory Pond and back. 1.5 miles back to the starting line. 10-20 miles of farmer's carries with 45 lb. water jugs in each hand. Ruck march to a series of Range events, from rifles to muskets to drone deterrence. Ruck march back to the Prusik Climb & O-Course, and onward into the night. We're grateful to every competitor for applying a sadist marathon's worth of reality to our product's reputation. Seeing our shirts at both the starting and finish lines was a powerful moment for our team.
Congrats to SGT Schorsh and SPC Godbold from the 75th Ranger Regiment, U.S. Army on taking this year's title. Thanks for having us along for the ride.
We'll be back next year. Until then, please support Trenton Petty and his team at The National Ranger Association (TNRA) however you can. This event and it's competitors deserve all the attention they get, and more.
Best Ranger Competition 2026. What an event.
