Tough going: Elite service members compete for 'Best Ranger'

There's tough, there's Army Ranger tough and then there's the toughest of the tough, the handful named Best Ranger.

Earlier this month, 106 elite members of the U.S. military spent 60 grueling hours competing as two-member teams for the Best Ranger title. Sleep-deprived and sometimes soaking wet and loaded down with gear, they marched, ran, swam, rappelled and swung hand over hand on ropes across a wilderness area at Fort Benning in western Georgia while firing rifles and machine guns, performing simulated combat rescues, navigating at night and tackling other daunting, back-to-back challenges.

In the end, Capts. John Bergman and Michael Rose of the Army's 101st Airborne Division crossed the finish line with rifles raised over their heads — Rose for his third time winning the endurance challenge and Bergman for his second.

An Army Ranger crawls across a rope stretched over Victory Pond during the combat water skills portion of the Best Ranger competition Sunday, April 14, 2019, in Fort Benning, Ga. During the event competitors must walk across a narrow beam to the rope touch a Ranger Tab in the middle and drop 35 feet into the water. (AP PhotoJohn Bazemore)

Fort Benning, host of the annual competition, is home to the Army's elite 75th Ranger Regiment as well as the demanding Army Ranger School. Just to become a Ranger entails some of the Army's toughest training in a 61-day course that weeds out roughly half of those who enter.

Rose, 28, from Roswell, Georgia, was among the soldiers who didn't graduate from Ranger training on his first try. They call it being "recycled."

Undaunted, he tried again, passed and returned less than a year later with Bergman to compete for Best Ranger. Rose said he wanted to prove that a soldier can spring back into fighting form just months after completing Ranger training.

Competitors begin the Best Ranger competition with a group run Friday, April 12, 2019, at Fort Benning, Ga. (AP PhotoJohn Bazemore)

"We managed to win," he said.

The Best Ranger Competition began in 1982 as a contest reserved for Army troops serving in elite special operations units. It aims to put "extreme demands on each buddy team's physical, mental, technical and tactical skills as Rangers."

Changes over more than three decades have opened up the competition to others across all branches of the U.S. military who meet Ranger standards.

A Ranger swings from monkey bars as he makes his way over a water obstacle on the Melvesti course during the Best Ranger competition Friday, April 12, 2019, in Fort Benning, Ga. (AP PhotoJohn Bazemore)

This year's competition kicked off before sunrise April 12 with a 5 mile (8 kilometer) run, an obstacle course, a challenge carrying a weighted down stretcher, a swim, a run wearing body armor, an urban assault course, a shooting test at a firing range and a nighttime foot march.

And that was just the first day out of three.

The next day saw the teams narrowed by half. Competitors tested their skills at climbing and rappelling off towers, as well as rescuing and treating an injured comrade from a downed helicopter. After dark they were airlifted into the mountains to compete in wilderness navigation.

U.S. Army Capt. Michael Rose, of the 101th Airborne, emerges from muddy water after crawling under barbed wire on the Melvesti course during the Best Ranger Friday, April 12, 2019, at Fort Benning, Ga. Rose and his partner Capt. John Bergman, background, won the event. (AP PhotoJohn Bazemore)

Some events were canceled in the final round on the third day as heavy thunderstorms with a chance of tornadoes moved into the Fort Benning area. Teams were still able to face off in a 2 mile (3.2 kilometer) run dotted with barbed wire and other obstacles, plus a combat water skills challenge involving tower climbing, crawling along a rope and zip-lining into a pond.

In a telephone interview the day after it all ended, the two winners said they had been training for months, building up to where they were going 100 miles a week on foot, running or marching, plus weightlifting. Their military units gave them plenty of leeway. So did the families of the two young fathers.

"The families have a lot of sacrifices as well," said Bergman.

A participant climbs a rope on the Melvesti obstacle course during the Best Ranger competition Friday, April 12, 2019, at Fort Benning, Ga. (AP PhotoJohn Bazemore)

Rose said his inspiration to keep competing comes from "just representing our unit as best we can and kind of inspiring younger soldiers and showing 'em what we're capable of — what the Rangers are capable of over the course of three days."

Bergman, 29, who grew up in Lawrence, Kansas, added that as they prepare to become company commanders, both officers want to instill that message in the soldiers under their charge: "No matter what you achieve, there's always something else greater that you can become."

Competitors clear an obstacle on the Malvesti course during the Best Ranger competition Friday, April 12, 2019, in Fort Benning, Ga. (AP PhotoJohn Bazemore)

A competitor does pulls ups during the physical fitness portion of the Best Ranger competition Friday, April 12, 2019, at Fort Benning, Ga. (AP PhotoJohn Bazemore)

Two-man Ranger teams carry weighted stretchers through the woods during the Best Ranger competition Friday, April 12, 2019, in Fort Benning, Ga. (AP PhotoJohn Bazemore)

A Ranger carries weights on stretcher during a weighted carry portion of the Best Ranger competition Friday, April 12, 2019, in Fort Benning, Ga. (AP PhotoJohn Bazemore)

Competitors run along a road carrying packs and rifles during the Best Ranger competition Friday, April 12, 2019, in Fort Benning, Ga. (AP PhotoJohn Bazemore)

U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Johnmichael Deprado, of the 173rd Airborne Brigade, lifts a heavy object during the Urban Assault Course portion of the Best Ranger competition Friday, April 14, 2019, in Fort Benning, Ga. (AP PhotoJohn Bazemore)

An Army Ranger rappels off a tower during the Day Stakes portion of the Best Ranger competition Saturday, April 13, 2019, at Fort Benning, Ga. (AP PhotoJohn Bazemore)

An Army Ranger climbs down from a rooftop during the urban assault portion of the Best Ranger competition Friday, April 12, 2019, in Fort Benning, Ga. (AP PhotoJohn Bazemore)

U.S. Army Sgt. Dylan Henry, of the 75th Ranger Regiment, fires a machine gun mounted on a vehicle during the Best Ranger competition Friday, April 12, 2019, in Fort Benning, Ga. (AP PhotoJohn Bazemore)

Ammunition is stacked in a row during the marksmanship skills portion of the Best Ranger competition Friday, April 12, 2019, at Fort Benning, Ga. (AP PhotoJohn Bazemore)

A competitor takes a brief rest as a firing range is readied for the marksmanship skills portion the Best Ranger during the Best Ranger competition Friday, April 12, 2019, at Fort Benning, Ga. (AP PhotoJohn Bazemore)

A two-man Ranger team demonstrates combat medical skills on a simulated victim of a helicopter crash during the Best Ranger competition Saturday, April 13, 2019, at Fort Benning, Ga. (AP PhotoJohn Bazemore)

An Army Ranger lifts weights during the physical fitness portion of the Best Ranger competition Saturday, April 13, 2019, at Fort Benning, Ga. (AP PhotoJohn Bazemore)

An Army Ranger rappels off a tower during the Day Stakes portion of the Best Ranger competition Saturday, April 13, 2019, at Fort Benning, Ga. (AP PhotoJohn Bazemore)

U.S. Army Lt. Alastair Keys, of the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, touches a Ranger Tab as he climbs across a rope stretched high over Victory Pond during the combat water skills portion of the Best Ranger competition Sunday, April 14, 2019, at Fort Benning, Ga. (AP PhotoJohn Bazemore)

U.S. Army Capts. Michael Rose, left, and John Bergman, both of the 101th Airborne Division, cross the finish line to win the Best Ranger competition Sunday, April 14, 2019, at Fort Benning, Ga. (AP PhotoJohn Bazemore)

SHANGHAI (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken raised what the U.S. describes as unfair Chinese trade practices during his first full day of meetings in China on Thursday with local government officials in the financial hub of Shanghai.

Blinken met with the city's top official, Communist Party Secretary Chen Jining, and “raised concerns about (Chinese) trade policies and non-market economic practices," the State Department said in a statement.

It said he stressed that the United States seeks healthy economic competition with China and "a level playing field for U.S. workers and firms operating in China.”

“The two sides reaffirmed the importance of ties between the people of the United States and (China), including the expansion of exchanges between students, scholars, and business,” it said.

China's multibillion-dollar trade surplus with the U.S. along with accusations of intellectual property theft and other practices seen as discriminating against U.S. businesses in China have long been a source of friction in relations.

China, for its part, has objected strongly to U.S. accusations of human rights abuses and Washington's support for Taiwan, the self-governing island that Beijing considers its own territory and warns could be annexed by force.

Blinken also spoke with students and business leaders before flying to Beijing for what are expected to be contentious talks with national officials, including Foreign Minister Wang Yi and possibly President Xi Jinping.

Blinken arrived in Shanghai on Wednesday shortly before U.S. President Joe Biden signed a $95 billion foreign aid package that has several elements likely to anger Beijing, including $8 billion to counter China’s growing aggressiveness toward Taiwan and in the South China Sea. It also seeks to force TikTok’s China-based parent company to sell the social media platform.

China has railed against U.S. assistance to Taiwan and immediately condemned the aid as a dangerous provocation. It also strongly opposes efforts to force TikTok’s sale.

Still, the fact that Blinken made the trip — shortly after a conversation between Biden and Xi, a visit to China by Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and a call between the U.S. and Chinese defense chiefs — is a sign the two sides are at least willing to discuss their differences.

“I think it’s important to underscore the value — in fact, the necessity — of direct engagement, of speaking to each other, laying out our differences, which are real, seeking to work through them,” Blinken told Chen.

“We have an obligation for our people, indeed an obligation to the world, to manage the relationship between our two countries responsibly,” he said. “That is the obligation we have, and one that we take very seriously.”

Chen agreed with that sentiment and said the recent Biden-Xi call had helped the “stable and healthy development of our two countries’ relationship.”

“Whether we choose cooperation or confrontation affects the well-being of both peoples, both countries, and the future of humanity,” he said.

Chen added that he hoped Blinken was able to get a “deep impression and understanding” of Shanghai, a city of skyscrapers, ports and more than 25 million people that is a magnet for commercially ambitious young people from China and abroad.

Most recently, the U.S. has raised concerns that potential overcapacity in Chinese industries — such as electric vehicles, steel and solar panels — might crowd out U.S. and other foreign manufacturers.

Shortly after arriving, Blinken attended a Chinese basketball playoff game between the local Shanghai Sharks and the Zhejiang Golden Bulls, with the home team losing in the last seconds in a 121-120 nailbiter.

With the U.S. presidential race heating up, it’s unclear what ramifications a victory for either Biden or former President Donald Trump might have for relations. But Trump could deepen a trade war he started during his first term. His tough rhetoric on China and isolationist approach to foreign policy could ramp up uncertainties.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, center, with NYU Shanghai Vice Chancellor Jeffrey Lehman, back right, talks to students at NYU Shanghai, Thursday, April 25, 2024, in Shanghai, China. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, Pool)

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken talks to students at NYU Shanghai, Thursday, April 25, 2024, in Shanghai, China. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, Pool)

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, second left, U.S. Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns, third left, and Scott Walker, left, Consul General at the U.S Consulate General in Shanghai, visit a waterfront area called The Bund, Thursday, April 25, 2024, in Shanghai, China. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, Pool)

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, right, talks with U.S. tourists as he walks in a waterfront area called The Bund, Thursday, April 25, 2024, in Shanghai, China. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, Pool)

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken talks with U.S. Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns, center, with U.S. Consulate General in Shanghai Scott Walker, left, while attending a basketball game between the Shanghai Sharks and the Zhejiang Golden Bulls at the Shanghai Indoor Stadium, Wednesday, April 24, 2024, in Shanghai, China. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, Pool)

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken talks with U.S. Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns, center, with U.S. Consulate General in Shanghai Scott Walker, right, while attending a basketball game between the Shanghai Sharks and the Zhejiang Golden Bulls at the Shanghai Indoor Stadium, Wednesday, April 24, 2024, in Shanghai, China. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, Pool)

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, second left, and U.S. Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns, far right, arrive at the Grand Halls to meet with Shanghai Party Secretary Chen Jining on Thursday, April 25, 2024, in Shanghai, China. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, Pool)

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, left, shakes hans with Shanghai Party Secretary Chen Jining as they meet at the Grand Halls, Thursday, April 25, 2024, in Shanghai, China. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, Pool)

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, left, meets with Shanghai Party Secretary Chen Jining at the Grand Halls, Thursday, April 25, 2024, in Shanghai, China. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, Pool)

Shanghai Party Secretary Chen Jining talks with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the Grand Halls, Thursday, April 25, 2024, in Shanghai, China. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, Pool)

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken talks with Shanghai Party Secretary Chen Jining at the Grand Halls, Thursday, April 25, 2024, in Shanghai, China. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, Pool)

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, left, talks with Shanghai Party Secretary Chen Jining at the Grand Halls, Thursday, April 25, 2024, in Shanghai, China. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, Pool)

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, center, watches U.S. Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns, left, shake hands with Shanghai Party Secretary Chen Jining at the Grand Halls, Thursday, April 25, 2024, in Shanghai, China. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, Pool)