(From left to right)Matthew Blake, Zachary Miller, Steven Wynne, Captain Roman Ortega Jr., Michael Hren, Dorian Oleksak and Cody Currin celebrate victory.

Eight Lewis University students in the Army ROTC program placed third in the 5-man team division at the annual Ranger Challenge event held Oct. 9-11 at Camp Marseilles, Ill. They competed against 22 teams with a total of 150 cadets from Illinois & Indiana Air Force and Army ROTC.

“Ranger Challenge team members accomplish more before 8 a.m. than most college students accomplish in an entire day,” commented Captain Román Ortega Jr., Assistant Professor of Military Science and head coach of the Army ROTC Varsity Sport team. He explained the team forms early in the semester and trains rigorously nearly every morning of the week and weekend. Cadets compete for spots on the team, like most sports teams that have try-outs. The team trains until the Brigade Ranger Challenge Competition at Camp Marseilles.

Members of the Lewis University ROTC Ranger Challenge team include: Cadet Dorian Oleksak (Captain), Cadet Zach Miller, Cadet José Gonzalez, Cadet Michael Hren, Cadet Steven Wynn, Cadet Matthew Blake, Cadet Cody Currin and Cadet Alex Beltran.

The Brigade Ranger Challenge Competition is a two-day event conducted on a non-tactical course. Captain Ortega stated, “The mission is to challenge cadets’ mental and physical toughness and to develop leadership while fostering teamwork and esprit-de-corps.”

Teams participate in 10 evaluated events: The Army Physical Fitness Test, Day and Night Land Navigation, Obstacle Course, First Aid, Litter Carry, Road March, Weapons Assembly and Disassembly, One Rope Bridge, Grenade Assault Course and 10K Road Forced Foot March. The Army Physical Fitness Test consists of push-ups, sit-ups and a two-mile run. During the Day and Night Land Navigation, the team moves in a timed event from point to point on foot and is responsible for determining the location and routes to these points.

As part of the obstacle course, cadets maneuver through tough obstacles as a team. The team with the best time wins the event. For the first aid event, cadets take on the task of evaluating and treating a casualty in a tactical scenario. The team is scored based on how they perform the steps in evaluation and treatment of the casualty. To receive maximum points this must be done quickly. Transporting the casualty through an obstacle course is also done during the Litter Carry.

Road March refers to the team traveling a distance of 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) with a full rucksack in the fastest time possible while remaining together as a team. The team with the fastest time is awarded maximum points. Grading for weapons assembly and disassembly is based on both speed and accuracy.

Cadets use a single rope to construct a “bridge” to move themselves and their equipment to the other side of a creek during the One Rope Bridge event. Again, the team with the fastest time is awarded the most points. When participating in the Grenade Assault Course, cadets maneuver through a course of trails and obstacles while throwing hand grenade simulators at specific targets. This event is scored based on accuracy, technique, and fastest time.

The 10K Road Forced Foot March, according to Captain Ortega is a challenging and hilly foot march graded on speed. This is done with a full rucksack in the fastest time possible while remaining together as a team. More information about the ROTC is available at www.wheaton.edu/rotc/ or (815)588-ROTC (7682).

A Catholic university sponsored by the De La Salle Christian Brothers, Lewis offers nearly 80 undergraduate majors and programs of study, accelerated degree completion options for working adults, various aviation programs and 22 graduate programs in nine fields. The 10th largest private, not-for-profit university in Illinois is being honored for the sixth consecutive year by The Princeton Review and U.S. News & World Report.