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Fort Benning, Ga.— In the swamps of the Florida Panhandle, Soldiers assigned to the 6th Ranger Training Battalion routinely challenge Ranger Course students in demanding field exercises. As members of the battalion’s opposing force, or OPFOR, they conduct realistic scenarios designed to test the leadership, endurance, and small-unit skills of future Army leaders.
Now, five of those Soldiers are preparing together as a squad, to represent U.S. Army Transformation and Training Command during the U.S. Army’s Best Squad Competition here Sept. 14 – 18.
The squad includes Staff Sgt. Ross Alvaro, squad leader and an indirect fire Infantryman; Sgts. Ryan Jones and Keyshawn Johnson, Infantrymen and team leaders; and Sgt. Steven Hess and Spc. Chad Verette, combat medics. Unlike a traditional operational force squad, this team was assembled from across the battalion. Its Soldiers bring knowledge of different military occupational specialties and assignments to the formation, as well as their experience gained from being assigned to units around the globe.
Alvaro selected teammates whose technical expertise and physical resilience matched the demands of the competition; he looked for competitors who could perform under sustained pressure.
“I looked at their physical performance,” Alvaro said. “I needed guys who are resilient, who can push through, not sleep for a while, and still go on and do whatever tasks he can.”
For the Soldiers he selected, Alvaro’s leadership was equally decisive. They saw the competition not only as a test of their own abilities, but as an opportunity to compete under a squad leader they trusted.
“I remember Sgt. Alvaro getting picked to lead the team,” Jones said. “It made me want to volunteer because I know he is a solid squad leader.”
Balancing mission requirements and training
Preparing for the competition required squad members to balance intensive training with their primary duty: supporting the Ranger Course program of instruction.
While the battalion’s medics provide care across the organization, while its Infantrymen actively support training cycles as opposing forces, or OPFOR. Because these competing demands limited collective training opportunities, individual discipline and mutual trust essentially became vital to the team’s readiness.
“The biggest challenge we’ve had was finding balance between supporting the Ranger Course and Best Squad training,” Alvaro said. “That’s on me, and the team leaders, to find that work and training balance. Hess noted the battalion’s training tempo demands personal accountability for physical readiness and professional development.
“The unit is different from your normal big Army unit because physical training, in general, relies on self-accountability,” Hess said. “It was clear to see that the guys brought together in this squad hold themselves to high standards, both in Infantry tasks and physical training.”
When duty schedules prevented the squad from training together, each Soldier continued to prepare individually. “Whenever we were busy with OPFOR stuff and we couldn’t do anything that day as a squad, we would always get after it on our own,” Johnson said. “We trust each other to do that.”
Building a more capable squad
The squad leveraged its members’ diverse military occupation specialties to cross-train on common Soldier tasks and specialized skill sets.
“Weapons aren’t my primary expertise; but we can go to the arms room, pull out weapons and work on disassembly, reassembly, and functions checks,” Hess said. “At the same time, I can pull these guys over to the medical platoon and we can work on Expert Field Medical Badge tasks they might not be as familiar with.” That cross-training became an advantage during the T2COM competition in May.
“A big eye-opener during the T2COM competition was seeing where certain people in the squad lacked and knowing that other people could pick up,” Alvaro said. “We have a great balance. If one person might not be good at something, there is another person who can help and make us better as a team.”
Focused on the next challenge
With the Army command-level victory secured, the squad is locked-in on the Army-wide competition and coming for the top spot.
“As soon as I saw the squad [come together], I knew we had a very good chance to do well,” Alvaro said. “We all came from (operational) units before, so we know what to expect. No matter what I’m doing, I’m going to try to be the best. Second place is not the standard.”
For Alvaro, the competition also reflects the value of seeking difficult opportunities throughout an Army career. “Go to Ranger School, go to [special forces] selection, do something hard that gives you that feeling of making a difference,” said Alvaro. “Motivate yourself to go do something really hard.”
The 6th Ranger Training Battalion squad will carry that mindset into the U.S. Army Best Squad Competition as it represents T2COM and the MCoE.
| Date Taken: | 09.11.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 09.11.2026 09:20 |
| Story ID: | 574393 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 17 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, T2COM Best Squad prepares for Army-level competition, by Meghan Kirby, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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