A female army ranger has made history by competing in the eerie best Ranger competition for the first time. First Lt. Gabrielle White and her teammate, Captain Seth Deltenre, ended 14. Collected in the three-day event, a testimony to their stamina and skill.
The competition, which was held over the weekend, saw 52 two-year-old teams that fought for the title “Best Ranger.” White and Deltenre were one of only 16 teams to complete the final events, a significant performance in itself. In particular, all other competing teams consisted exclusively of male soldiers who marked White’s participation as a groundbreaking moment for the elite military force.
The two ranks on the winning team were 1st. Griff Hokanson and 1. Lt. Kevin Moore – both are members of the 75th Ranger regiment. White and Deltenre is based on the Army Center of Excellence in Fort Benning, Georgia.
Female soldiers were not allowed to be Army Rangers until 2015, when the army opened Ranger School for women. In August 2015, two female soldiers ended the Ranger course for the first time. Later that year, the Department of Defense opened all fighters for women.
Until this year, no female soldiers were participating in the best Ranger competition at Fort Benning. Soldiers who participate must all be Army Rangers and they compete for more than 30 events.
According to the competition, soldiers need to move more than 60 miles over the three days with a little rest. It includes helicopter missions, physical fitness tests, land navigation, arms qualification, obstacle course and other tests.
While the army would probably have noticed the historic first in a story or press release in previous years, it will not happen this time.
Under President Donald Trump and defense secretary Pete Hegeth, the department has banned everything that pronounces diversity, justice and inclusion. And in the recent cleansing of the military’s online sites and social media postings, mentions of historical first of women and minorities were largely removed.
White, 25, is a black infantry officer assigned to Maneuver Captain Career Course. She trained from the Military Academy in West Point in May 2021 and completed the Ranger School in April 2022, according to Christopher Surridge, a spokesman for an army.
According to the army, 154 women were graduated from the Ranger School from January 2025.