First female soldier competes in Best Army Ranger contest

The two-soldier team of 1st Lt. Gabrielle White and Capt. Seth Deltenre came in 14th place in a Monday awards ceremony for the contest. Out of 52 Army Ranger teams competing in the event, only 16 teams finished. 1st Lt. Griff Hokanson and 1st Lt. Kevin Moore of the 75th Ranger Regiment won the contest, according to a post by event host Fort Benning.

White was the first woman to compete in the annual Best Army Ranger contest which wrapped up Saturday, according to the Associated Press. The grueling three-day event pitted two-person teams against each other in more than 30 events. White is a West Point graduate who finished Ranger School in 2022. She is stationed at the Army Center of Excellence at Fort Benning, Georgia.

What is the Best Army Ranger contest? The contest began in 1982. Army Rangers from across the country compete in a series of demanding back-to-back events with little rest. Events include live fire exercises, strength competitions, obstacle courses, night navigation, marches, and runs, according to the contest website. Soldiers move over 60 miles during the three days of the competition, according to the Associated Press.

How many female Army Rangers are there? The Ranger School opened to women in 2015. As of January 2025, 154 female soldiers have graduated from the school, according to the Associated Press.

Dig deeper: Read my report on the deaths of four U.S. soldiers during a training exercise in Lithuania.