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Northeast colleges compete in 2018 2nd Brigade Ranger Challenge

U.S. Army ROTC cadets receive a briefing during the weapons assembly challenge during the 2018 Ranger Challenge in the range complex on Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey, Oct. 20, 2018. The challenge is a regional, two-day competition held annually to test college ROTC cadet’s mental and physical durability with a series of challenges. (U.S. Air Force photo Airman First Class Jessica Blair)

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Northeast colleges compete in 2018 2nd Brigade Ranger Challenge

Navy ROTC Midshipmen from the University of Maine rest under a tree between competitions during the 2018 Ranger Challenge in the range complex on Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey, Oct. 20, 2018. Cadets from 42 colleges from states Northeast participate in the two-day Ranger Challenge annually to compete for the winning title for the year. (U.S. Air Force photo Airman First Class Jessica Blair)

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Northeast colleges compete in 2018 2nd Brigade Ranger Challenge

U.S. Army ROTC cadet climbs down a cargo net during the 2018 Ranger Challenge in the range complex on Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey, Oct. 20, 2018. The joint base boasts 17,000 acres of ranges, including obstacle and land navigation courses; small arms and artillery firing points; and urban combat training sites, making it ideal for the Ranger Challenge. (U.S. Air Force photo Airman First Class Jessica Blair)

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Northeast colleges compete in 2018 2nd Brigade Ranger Challenge

U.S. Army ROTC Cadets Joseph Bittner and Tyler Krause, West Chester University students, perform a timed land navigation challenge during the 2018 Ranger Challenge in the range complex on Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey, Oct. 20, 2018. Cadets participating in the competition were given a map and protractor for their nine-person team to successfully complete the task. (U.S. Air Force photo Airman First Class Jessica Blair)

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Northeast colleges compete in 2018 2nd Brigade Ranger Challenge

U.S. Navy ROTC Midshipmen Drew Cyr and Steven Gerencer, University of Maine students, rest in the grass in between competitions during the 2018 Ranger Challenge in the range complex on Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey, Oct. 20, 2018. Cadets participating in the Ranger Challenge were expected to perform a tactical casualty combat carry exercise, which consisted of transporting a casualty on a skid through a forest in a timely manner without receiving any penalties. (U.S. Air Force photo Airman First Class Jessica Blair)

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Northeast colleges compete in 2018 2nd Brigade Ranger Challenge

U.S. Army ROTC Cadets Drew Devanney and Reilly Kline, Shippensburg University students, laugh while eating MRE’s during the 2018 Ranger Challenge in the range complex on Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey, Oct. 20, 2018. During the challenge, the teams were awarded points based on how well they perform in each challenge. (U.S. Air Force photo Airman First Class Jessica Blair)

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Northeast colleges compete in 2018 2nd Brigade Ranger Challenge

U.S. Army ROTC cadets from Fordham University roll a tire across Doughboy Field during the 2018 Ranger Challenge on Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey, Oct., 20. 2018. Cadets participated in the final challenge consisting of three mystery exercises that they had no previous training on. (U.S. Air Force photo Airman First Class Jessica Blair)

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Northeast colleges compete in 2018 2nd Brigade Ranger Challenge

Published Oct. 26, 2018
By Airman 1st Class Jessica Blair

JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J.- --

U.S. Army Cadet Command 2nd Brigade hosted the 2018 ROTC Ranger Challenge on the range complex here, Oct. 19-21.

The Ranger Challenge is a regional, two-day competition held annually to test college ROTC cadets’ mental and physical durability with a series of challenges. This year, competitors from 42 schools and across the Northeast states came to compete for the winning title. The winning team of this competition proceeds to the National Sandhurst Military Skills Competition at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point where they compete to see who is the best battalion and school in the nation.

This year’s competition consisted of a wide variety of timed challenges including land navigation; weapon assembly; obstacles; a hand grenade assault course; a timed ruck march, tactical combat casualty carry, a mystery challenge; and tug of war finale. Cadets were evaluated on their ability to complete each of these events in a timely and proficient manner.

“It is grueling in some cases and there’s a lot of thinking to it” said U.S. Army Capt. Eric Venditti, Rutgers University executive officer and assistant professor of military science and obstacle course event evaluator. “The teams have been great, they’ve been motivated and geared up for this for a while. I think a lot of them are excited to prove themselves against the other teams in the brigade.”

Friends and family came from all over the Northeast to cheer on and support their cadets as they competed in each new challenge event.

The Ranger Challenge creates a critical-thinking based event that tests the cadet’s ability to solve a problem together, said U.S. Army Maj. Zachery Lewis, 2nd Brigade ROTC operations officer.

“All of the universities seem highly motivated and have a positive attitude and seem to be well trained and are giving a 100 percent,” said Capt. Matthew Pochak, Widener University assistant professor of military science and Ranger Challenge weapons assembly station evaluator.

The top team was Edinboro University, with Lehigh University coming in second place. The winning team will represent 2nd Brigade Army ROTC at the annual Sandhurst competition at Westpoint in April 2019.