Overview

• Eighteen instructors from the 6th Ranger Training Battalion have been suspended pending an investigation into blank gunfire at Crab Island on May 16, 2025.
• The incident, captured on video and shared on social media, showed soldiers firing bursts into the air, prompting 911 calls and alarm among civilians.
• While the instructors participated in an approved mock sea battle during the Billy Bowlegs Pirate Festival, the Crab Island firing was not authorized by the City of Fort Walton Beach or festival organizers.
• The suspended soldiers are temporarily barred from training students in the final swamp phase of the U.S. Army Ranger Course at Camp Rudder, Florida.
• The Army Maneuver Center of Excellence has pledged to investigate thoroughly and ensure accountability based on the findings.