ROTC Cadets Compete at Ranger Challenge Competition
PC’s ROTC Ranger Challenge’s team brought back the 2nd place trophy in the Black Division (20 Teams) and finished 7th overall out of 40 teams for the annual 4th Brigade Ranger Challenge competition in Ft. Pickett, VA held from 16-19 October. Comprised of the strongest cadets in the battalion from Presbyterian College and Lander University, they competed against schools from across the Southeast including USC, Clemson, Furman, Wofford, ECU, UNC-Chapel Hill, Duke, UVA and many others. During the three day competition the Cadets competed in several events that tested the team’s physical ability, military knowledge and mental agility.
This is not your typical Spartan Race. The team not only had to overcome the physical nature of the competition but also had to use critical thinking skills to navigate and accomplish certain events. Along with 40 pounds of equipment, the Ranger Challenge team traversed approximately 12-15 miles of roads and woods. The events included marksmanship, reconnaissance of an objective, a rigorous obstacle course, emergency medical evacuation, land navigation from event to event and a patrol boat exercise.
A final endurance event designed by Presbyterian College’s very own MSG Bogue awaited the cadets at the end of the course. The challenge required the team to perform 100 power cleans of 120 lbs logs, 300 burpies, an exercise comprised of pushups and squat thrusts, 500 air squats, a 50 meter low crawl, and carry a 200 lbs stretcher a total of 800 meters.
Placing in this competition is a high honor and a fantastic representation of PC ROTC’s quality Cadets. PC’s relatively small size would normally be a disadvantage when competing against schools that can pull from a much larger Cadet corps; however, the Ranger Challenge team overcame these odds and truly represented Presbyterian College.