The 75th Ranger Regiment announced the winner of the first Col. Ralph Puckett Leadership Award competition at a ceremony held here June 19.

Capt. John Bata, Regimental Special Troops Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment was chosen as the winner of the Puckett Leadership Award.

Seven junior grade officers, representing three of the Regiment’s four battalions, participated in the competition.

Officers were required to compete in weapons qualification, land navigation and hands-on common task training such as weapons assembly, radio communications and nuclear biological testing.

Bata said he is thrilled to be the first recipient of this award.

“It is a huge privilege and honor to be associated with anything with Col. Puckett’s name on it,” said Bata. “He is an outstanding leader and mentor and I am humbled to be the first to receive this award.”

The award, honoring Tifton native Ralph Puckett, was created to recognize junior officers who have demonstrated a “take-charge leadership” in demanding circumstances where their personal actions have clearly made a difference in the outcome of events.

“One of the things this competition does is to inspire our junior officers to be more tactically proficient in weapons, land navigation and medical care on the battlefield,” said retired Col. Ralph Puckett.

The purpose of the award is to identify a junior officer in the Ranger Regiment that sticks out amongst his peers for his take-charge attitude, said Col. Richard D. Clarke, Regimental Commanding Officer.

“Col. Puckett exemplified that persona when he interviewed to be an officer in the Korean War of a Ranger Company that was being newly formed. Instead of being selected to fill a platoon leader position of the company executive officer, then Lt. Puckett was chosen as the Company Commander. He was placed in charge of a newly formed company and had to take charge, leading them into combat, in some incredibly tough fighting. Much like we expect our Ranger platoon leaders to do today,” said Clarke.

“I was surprised and pleased that the Regimental Commanding Officer approved this competition,” said Puckett.

Even though Puckett has stepped down as the Honorary Colonel of the 75th Ranger Regiment, a position that he held for 12 straight years, he continues to share his leadership and mentorship with the Rangers.

“This award, named in his honor, will be one of the many legacies that he leaves his touch on in the Regiment,” said Clarke. “His biggest contribution, however, will be the numerous Rangers that he touched during those 12 years — during combat operations and training, where he was omnipresent and always had some incredible advice on how to improve.”

Select lieutenants or junior captains serving in the 75th Ranger Regiment that exemplify the values, ideals and character of the Regiment were given the opportunity to compete for the award. The competition tested core Ranger skills and the ability to think through tactical or complex problems in demanding circumstances and generate successful options.

There are three Col. Ralph Puckett leadership awards that are presented to outstanding officers on Fort Benning.

In addition to the 75th Ranger Regiment, an award is presented to the Officer Honor Graduate at the U.S. Army Ranger Course. The recipient of this award has performed successfully in each leadership position, did not have to repeat any phase of this demanding school and was acclaimed by his peers.

The third award is The Col. Ralph Puckett Leadership Award and is presented to the officer who displayed exceptional leadership in the Maneuver Captains Career Course. In keeping with the exceptional leadership example of Col. Puckett, he must be in exemplary physical condition, maintain high academic standing and must have served in a leadership position.

Colonel Puckett was an inaugural inductee into the United States Army Ranger Hall of Fame in 1992 for extraordinary valor and distinguished service as a Ranger qualified leader. He formed, trained, and commanded the Eighth Army Ranger Company in Korea as a second and, later, first lieutenant. He earned the Distinguished Service Cross for his actions on November 25-26, 1950, when he successfully lead his 51 Rangers