Eastern Washington University Army ROTC Finishes as Runner Up in 2019 Ranger Challenge Competition

Ranger Challenge Tab

Ranger Challenge is an annual competition where Army ROTC teams from 11 university’s located in the Inland Northwest, Montana, Idaho, and Northern California compete to be the best team in the region.  The teams compete in various military themed events that challenge the Cadets both physically and mentally.  This year between 24-26 October 2019 the Spokane region played host to the 2019 Ranger Challenge Competition.

The first day of the competition was planned and executed by the Eastern Washington University (EWU) Army ROTC program.  The events were all hosted either on campus or in the Cheney region.  Something new tried for this Ranger Challenge was that scores for each event were being posted online for family, friends, and alumni to keep track of the competition.  Additionally complete descriptions of the events with scoring standards were posted for not only the competing teams to view, but for spectators as well to understand the challenging events the Cadets were executing.

 

Paddling Event – 2nd Place

Our EWU ROTC team began the competition at the Cheney Trailhead of the Columbia Plateau Trail.  From the trailhead the team had to roadmarch 4 miles to Fish Lake where they then had to complete a rafting course.  At the end of the rafting course a 9-Line MEDEVAC request was called up using clues found along the route.  Our EWU team did outstanding in this event by finishing in 2nd place to the University of Montana.  The Eastern team during the event demonstrated their well practiced paddling skills on Fish Lake.

The EWU Ranger Challenge team arrives at the Cheney Trailhead of the Columbia Plateau Trail

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The EWU Ranger Challenge team nears the end of the ruck march to Fish Lake.

EWU Ranger Challenge team crosses the finish line of the ruck march at Fish Lake.


The Eastern team prepares to begin the paddling event.

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The Eastern team paddles across Fish Lake.

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Weapons Range Event – 1st Place 

After the event at Fish Lake the Eastern team then took a bus to the weapons range at Medical Lake.  At this event the team had to conduct a written general Army knowledge test, an M17 pistol range, and a M4 rifle range that included having to pull a sled with 200 pounds up and down a hill.  The Eastern team dominated this event by shooting very well, getting the most laps completed with the 200 sled, as well as the highest scores on the written test.

Cadet Christian Goldbach takes the written test.

Cadet Cesar Guzman takes the written test.

Cadet Jameson Palmer engages targets on the M17 pistol range.

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Cadet Cheyenne Sweet engages targets with her M4 rifle.

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Cadets drag the weighted sled.

 

Combat Water Survival Test (CWST) – 2nd Place

For the CWST Event, each member of the Ranger Challenge team completed a five-minute buoyancy test without a ruck, jumped from a high diving board and swam across the pool, and then conducted a two-stroke test using the sidestroke and breaststroke.  The EWU team took a one point penalty on the breaststroke test which knocked the team down to 2nd place for the event.

Cadet Kaylie Watters conducts the buoyancy test.

Cadet Justin Mebes conducts the two-stroke test.

Cadet Kaylie Watters jumps off the diving board.


EWU ROTC’s Ranger Challenge team members pose during the CWST event.

 

Commander’s Challenge – 4th Place

For the Commander’s Challenge event, each Ranger Challenge team member had to ascend a climbing wall, then complete the Spring, Drag, Carry event of the new Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT), and then negotiate an obstacle course.  Since this was the fourth event of the day our Eastern team was quite tired and had some challenges with the climbing wall.  However, the team did well enough on the Spring, Drag, Carry and obstacle course to finish a solid 4th place for the event.

EWU Cadets conduct the climbing wall event.

Ranger Challenge 2019 Photos

Team takes picture with the EWU mascot, Swoop after completing the climbing wall event.


Cadet Cesar Guzman pulls a weighted tire as part of the spring, drag, carry event.

Cadet Christian Goldbach crosses the monkey bars.


Cadet Hunter Smith climbs a rope on the obstacle course event

 

Helicopter Transport to Camp Seven Mile

After each team completed their Day #1 events they then headed over to the upper parking lot behind “The Inferno” at Roos Field.  At the parking lot UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters from the Washington Army National Guard landed and then transported the Cadets to Camp Seven Mile.  The camp is located just north of Spokane within the boundaries of Riverside State Park.  EWU Army ROTC thanks the 96th Aviation Troop Command out of Joint Base Lewis-McChord for supporting Ranger Challenge 2019.

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Night Land Navigation – 2nd Place

One the night settled in on Camp Seven Mile, the team then participated in a night land navigation course.  Being proficient in land navigation is one of the key skills taught to ROTC Cadets.  For this course the team had to find as many points as possible and return at a set time or be penalized.  The land navigation points were scored by the closer ones being worth smaller scores and the longer distance points being worth higher scores.  Our EWU Army ROTC team excelled at this event by finishing second in the amount of points found.

Cadets from each Ranger Challenge team receive the night land navigation brief.

The sun sets on Camp Seven Mile.

 

Hand Grenade Assault Course – 2nd Place

On Day #2 of Ranger Challenge, the Cadets woke up early and marched to their first event of the day, the Hand Grenade Assault Course.  For this event the team had to patrol through the woods, identify targets, and then successfully engage the targets by throwing hand grenades.  The team came one point short of getting the maximum score on the course, thus finishing in 2nd place.

Cadet Andreas Brazier calls for a halt during a movement on the hand grenade assault course.


Cadet Hunter Smith throws a grenade into a building.

 

HMMWV Push – 3rd Place

For the HMMWV Push event the Cadets had to push an uparmored HMMWV filled with gear across a large grass field.  This was an extremely physically demanding event that the Eastern team finished 3rd place in.


 

The Grinder – 3rd place

For the Grinder event, the Cadets had to evaluate a casualty and provide medical care.  After correctly applying medical care they then had to put the casualty on a stretcher and transport it to the top of a steep hill.  At the top of the hill the Cadets then had to correctly call in a 9-Line MEDEVAC to extract the casualty.  The Eastern team narrowly finished in 3rd place in this event.

Cadet Cesar Guzman evaluates the casualty on the Grinder event.

 

Mystery Event – 1st Place

Prior to the start of Ranger Challenge each team was given a packet on what all the events would be so they could train for them.  However, one event was unknown which became known as the Mystery Event.  The Cadets were going to have to complete this event with no prior knowledge of what they would be asked to do. In the event the Cadets had to climb a wall, sprint across a field, and then conduct a Call for Fire course.  The Eastern Ranger Challenge team ended up having the fastest time and placed 1st overall in the Mystery Event.

The Eastern Ranger Challenge team climbs over a wall on the Mystery Event.

Cadet Jameson Palmer successfully executes the Call for Fire event.

 

Ruck March – 5th Place

The final event of Ranger Challenge 2019 was a 12 km ruck march.  Going into this event the Gonzaga and Eastern teams were both tied for first place.  Despite a valiant effort the Eastern Ranger Challenge team came up short on the ruck march with Gonzaga winning the event and the overall Ranger Challenge competition.

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Congratulation to Gonzaga ROTC for their win, but EWU ROTC is extremely proud of the effort put forth by our Ranger Challenge team. The team finished 1st in two events, 2nd in four events, 3rd in two events and then a 4th and 5th place finish.  This demonstrated how competitive and well rounded the team was in every event at Ranger Challenge.  We look forward to building and training another highly competitive Ranger Challenge team next year as well.

Go Fighting Eags!

Note:  More pictures from Ranger Challenge 2019 can be found and downloaded from our Ranger Challenge Flickr folder

The Eastern Washington University Army ROTC Ranger Challenge team takes a team picture after completing the ruck march event:  Back Row (from left): Jameson Palmer, Chad Triplett, Christian Goldbach, Kaylie Watters, & Hunter Smith; Front Row (from left): Andreas Brazier, Justin Mebes, Coy Odiorne, Cheyenne Sweet, & Cesar Guzman

 

 

“Fighting Eagles” Cadets Complete Final Land Navigation Lab of the Fall Quarter

Land Navigation Picture

By: Cadet Austin Bristow

On October 31st, the Eastern Washington University (EWU) Reserve Officer Training Corp (ROTC) “Fighting Eagles” battalion conducted its third and final land navigation course for preparation for the upcoming Expert Fighting Eagle Badge test. The land navigation course was meant to be significantly more difficult than past lessons so leadership could assess the Cadets land navigation skills. In order to make the course more difficult, Cadets were encouraged to work alone so they could see where they are truly at. The course also had points significantly farther apart from one another so Cadets were forced to put more thought into planning a route.

Land Navigation Picture
Cadet James Dutton (left) plots points and Cadet Ian House (right) explains the course to other Fighting Eagles Cadets.

Cadets were truly put to the test. Many Cadets were seen using various land navigation fundamentals to change their route to the next point or just making sure they are at the point in accordance to the map. When asked about how the course was compared to previous ones, Cadet Caleb Bullard said, “This one was a real challenge, it felt more like a test rather than a lesson.”  Bullard also said, “I had a rough time, but was happy to see what I needed to work on.”

Land Navigation Picture
EWU Army ROTC Nursing Cadets, Jennafer Knight (left) and Kaylie Watters (right) conduct the land navigation course.

When the land navigation course ended a contracting ceremony was held for Cadet Crystal Cruz.  By contracting, Cadet Cruz after graduation will commission as Second Lieutenant in the United States Army.  As a contracted Cadet, she will also receive a $420 a month stipend and a $5,000 bonus for completing ROTC Basic Camp this past summer.   We are so excited for Cadet Cruz and her future in the United States Army!

Cruz contracting
Cadet Crystal Cruz contracts into the U.S. Army. Retired Army Major, Rob Riedel gives the Oath of Enlistment to Cadet Cruz.

Go Fighting Eags!

Throwback Thursday: 1989 EWU Army ROTC Ranger Challenge Team

1989 Ranger Challenge team

1989 Ranger Challenge team

This picture is of the Eastern Washington University (EWU) Army ROTC Ranger Challenge team conducting what appears to be the ruck march event back in 1989.  Does anyone from the 1989 graduating class remember where the competition was held and how the team did at Ranger Challenge that year?

Ranger Challenge Day #1

Ranger Challenge Tab

Ranger Challenge competition will begin with first formation at 0600 at Cadet Hall.  From there the teams will depart to their assigned events.  Day #1 events include:

  • Commander’s Challenge
  • Paddling
  • Range
  • CWST

After completion of the events at EWU helicopters will fly the teams to Camp Seven Mile to execute events run by Gonzaga ROTC.