U.S. Marine Corps Abrams tank crews compete in annual Tiger Competition at Range 409A on Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California.

The competition pits the best tank crews from all three Marine Corps tank battalions against each other, each competing to represent the Marine Corps in the Sullivan Cup, a biennial competition at Fort Benning, Georgia, between U.S. and international tank crews.

During the Tiger competition holds tests tank crews capabilities to hit targets accurately, assess their communication and decision-making skills, and evaluate their knowledge of armored vehicles.

For tank crews across the Marine Corps, the annual Tiger Competition impacts them throughout the entire year, every year. It isn’t just a competition that begins and then ends, it has lasting influence on the crews throughout the year.

Not only is the annual competition important because of the quantifiable aspects resulting in a winner each year, but it also improves the morale and overall welfare of the Marines involved.

Each year the competition is hosted at a different range, cycling through the home bases of the three battalions. This unpredictability improves the combat readiness of the tank crews and their ability to fight whenever and wherever they are called to.