Fort Benning, Georgia. (April 9, 2024): Members of the 75th Ranger Regiment dominated the recent 2025 International Best Mortar Competition, and it wasn’t close. They beat out several other American military units as well as teams from Denmark, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. In this photo by Captain Stephanie Snyder, Soldiers fire a 120 mm M120A1 towed mortar system during the four-day competition to determine the best indirect fire infantry in the world.
The shoot off was designed to highlight the capabilities of mortar crews while giving civilian spectators an inside look at Army combat operations. The competition was created to evaluate the physical, tactical, and technical capabilities of mortar teams from the U.S. and allied armies.
The event involved thirty-two teams consisting of four personnel in the following grades: One O2/O1 or E7/E6, One E5/E4 (P) and two E4 or below. The Officer had to be serving in a Mortar Platoon Leader Position and be a graduate of Infantry Mortar Leader Course. Additionally, at least one member of the team must be a graduate of Infantry Mortar Leader Course. The competition was open to all qualified Active Duty, Reserve and National Guard, other branches, and international teams.
Congratulations go out to the 75th Ranger Regiment team of 1st Lieutenants Kevin Moore and Griffin Hokanson for their dominating performance that marked their third consecutive victory. The winners were announced in a ceremony at the Maneuver Center of Excellence at Fort Benning Sunday night.
This year marked the fourth straight year that soldiers from the 75th Rangers came out on top in the competition.