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ROTC teams rise to the challenge
November 10, 2006
At the Ranger Challenge two weekends ago, PLU’s two Army ROTC teams placed first and second overall for the first time ever.
Held at Fort Lewis this year, the annual challenge tests the skills and endurance of each nine-member team, said Capt. Raed Gyekis. The PLU cadets competed against teams from the University of Alaska at Fairbanks, the University of Hawaii, the University of Guam and the University of Portland.
Cadets volunteer to participate in the challenge, and preparing for it requires a lot of extra work, Gyekis explained. Since the beginning of school, the 18 cadets who participated – two teams of nine and two alternates – trained six mornings a week.
The challenge started Friday night as the teams competed in a written land navigation test, plotting points on a map and determining the distance between each. The physical part of the challenge began bright and early the next morning with the Army physical fitness test comprised of sit-ups, push-ups and a two-mile run.
The challenge continued with the M-16 challenge, where cadets disassembled, reassembled and tested a M-16; the hand grenade assault course that involved hitting targets at various distances; the one-rope bridge, where all nine team members had to cross a river using only a 150-foot length of rope; the land navigation course that included plotting points on a map and finding them in the woods; and a 10-kilometer “ruck march” in full gear.
All the challenges were timed and required advanced technical skills. Of the 18 cadets who competed, only three were participating for the first time.
Junior Dom Calata, a member of the winning team, credits a rigorous training schedule and the many repeat participants in the success of the two teams.
“The commitment was a lot harder, and there was a lot of continuity with upper classmen,” Calata said.
Originally, PLU planned to send only one team to the challenge. But four weeks before the event, Lt. Col. Gillian Boice, director of the ROTC program, decided she wanted to have two teams represent PLU’s program, said senior Brian Bradshaw, captain of the first place team.
“The day of the challenge was the first day (the second team) worked together,” Bradshaw said.
In addition to never working together, the second team had less time to train. Everyone was surprised when the team won the final event, the 10-kilometer endurance run in full gear, and jumped from fifth to second place, Bradshaw said.
Full backpacks during the final run typically weigh between 30 and 35 pounds, Bradshaw said. But a constant downpour of rain throughout the day soaked all the equipment, putting the weight of the pack closer to 45 pounds.
“The last two kilometers of the ruck march, we were all yelling encouragement and all cramping up,” he said. “We went from a jog to a shuffle.”
In training for the competition, the past participants trained the new ones. The cadets must learn many of the skills for the challenge long before they are taught in the classroom, Calata said.
“A part of it is teaching advanced skills,” Gyekis said of the challenge. “The other part is the esprit de corps.”
The first place team included: Bradshaw, captain, Calata, Eric Smyth, David Ilem, Nathan Gadberry, Anthony Arola, Gary Parlett, Amber Skipworth, Joe Maki and alternate Janet Kargar.
The second place team included: Michael Harper, captain, Renee McElroy, David Marshall, Loren Kacoroski, Kole Welsh, Mark Doherty, Jason Carlson, Michael Awoyomi, Caleb Mattson and alternate Eric Lee.
To learn more about PLU’s ROTC program, visit www.plu.edu/~rotc.
Cadets volunteer to participate in the challenge, and preparing for it requires a lot of extra work, Gyekis explained. Since the beginning of school, the 18 cadets who participated – two teams of nine and two alternates – trained six mornings a week.
The challenge started Friday night as the teams competed in a written land navigation test, plotting points on a map and determining the distance between each. The physical part of the challenge began bright and early the next morning with the Army physical fitness test comprised of sit-ups, push-ups and a two-mile run.
The challenge continued with the M-16 challenge, where cadets disassembled, reassembled and tested a M-16; the hand grenade assault course that involved hitting targets at various distances; the one-rope bridge, where all nine team members had to cross a river using only a 150-foot length of rope; the land navigation course that included plotting points on a map and finding them in the woods; and a 10-kilometer “ruck march” in full gear.
All the challenges were timed and required advanced technical skills. Of the 18 cadets who competed, only three were participating for the first time.
Junior Dom Calata, a member of the winning team, credits a rigorous training schedule and the many repeat participants in the success of the two teams.
“The commitment was a lot harder, and there was a lot of continuity with upper classmen,” Calata said.
Originally, PLU planned to send only one team to the challenge. But four weeks before the event, Lt. Col. Gillian Boice, director of the ROTC program, decided she wanted to have two teams represent PLU’s program, said senior Brian Bradshaw, captain of the first place team.
“The day of the challenge was the first day (the second team) worked together,” Bradshaw said.
In addition to never working together, the second team had less time to train. Everyone was surprised when the team won the final event, the 10-kilometer endurance run in full gear, and jumped from fifth to second place, Bradshaw said.
Full backpacks during the final run typically weigh between 30 and 35 pounds, Bradshaw said. But a constant downpour of rain throughout the day soaked all the equipment, putting the weight of the pack closer to 45 pounds.
“The last two kilometers of the ruck march, we were all yelling encouragement and all cramping up,” he said. “We went from a jog to a shuffle.”
In training for the competition, the past participants trained the new ones. The cadets must learn many of the skills for the challenge long before they are taught in the classroom, Calata said.
“A part of it is teaching advanced skills,” Gyekis said of the challenge. “The other part is the esprit de corps.”
The first place team included: Bradshaw, captain, Calata, Eric Smyth, David Ilem, Nathan Gadberry, Anthony Arola, Gary Parlett, Amber Skipworth, Joe Maki and alternate Janet Kargar.
The second place team included: Michael Harper, captain, Renee McElroy, David Marshall, Loren Kacoroski, Kole Welsh, Mark Doherty, Jason Carlson, Michael Awoyomi, Caleb Mattson and alternate Eric Lee.
To learn more about PLU’s ROTC program, visit www.plu.edu/~rotc.