MBU Takes First Place Title in Ranger Challenge for Sixth Consecutive Year
As 1:00 a.m. approached, the cadets trudged forward on stiff and aching legs. Their ruck packs now felt heavier than ever before. After 12 long miles, the finish line finally stood before them. With pride they marched across. Their goal for this year’s Ranger Challenge had been accomplished.
On October 13-15, six of Maranatha’s cadets took first place once again in the Task Force Ranger Challenge at Fort McCoy. This accomplishment marks their sixth consecutive win and their eighth victory out of the nine times Charlie Company has competed.
The Challenge
The Task Force Ranger Challenge is an annual competition for the ROTC programs within the state of Wisconsin and the Northern Peninsula of Michigan. In the competition, multiple teams compete in various divisions: a five-person open division, five-person co-ed division and a nine-person co-ed division.
Maranatha brought a five-person team with one substitute member. This team included Cadets Elisha Lewis (coach), Robert Kile (captain), Jonathan Downs, Elijah Kazarovich, Wesley Peach and Jonathan Chovan (substitute).
The Ranger Challenge involves a variety of activities that test the teams’ physical and mental strength as well as their ability to work together. These activities include:
- Written Exam based on the ROTC Curriculum
- Obstacle Challenge (Negotiating a timed obstacle course)
- Physical Challenge (Negotiating a timed obstacle course carrying equipment)
- 120 ft. One Rope Bridge
- Assault Course (Assaulting an enemy position)
- Hand Grenade Challenge
- Medical Challenge
- Weapons Disassembly/ Re-assembly Challenge
- Keep in Memory (KIM) Test
- 12-mile Ruck March
“One thing that should be noted about each of the challenges is that they’re all team based,” says Kazarovich. “We’re only as fast at the slowest individual on the team.”
The Obstacles
This year’s competition brought many challenges for the cadets, including their own inexperience. Only the captain and coach had previously competed in this competition. “We had to literally start from the bottom up,” says Lewis.
The team also faced various health challenges. Sickness sidelined Lewis, the team’s coach, during a portion of the challenge, forcing the substitute to step in for him. Another cadet endured painful shin splints. All of them experienced extreme physical exhaustion.
Physical strength could only take the cadets so far. This kind of competition requires mental toughness as well. And with questions about the health of fellow team members plaguing their minds, that mental stamina was threatened. “When your brain is the only thing propelling you forward, those questions can tear you down,” says Captain DeGreeff. “But they didn’t.” Their determined mindset enabled them to press on.
The Secret to Success
The compilation of challenges the cadets faced made the odds of winning appear very low. Even Lewis admitted, “It was very much a building year, and usually on building years you don’t win.”
But this team was full of surprises. Despite the many difficulties in their path, Charlie Company added an eighth win to MBU’s record.
So what is the secret to their success? Extensive preparation is one of the main reasons. Lewis and Kile began planning for the Ranger Challenge in January. During the spring semester, they promoted the event to the other cadets. Over the summer, Kile created a detailed training plan.
A week before the semester began, the team put the training plan into action. They trained three times a day Monday through Friday. The mornings consisted of physical training, with event-specific practices in the afternoons and evening runs as well. On Saturdays, the team trained for the ruck march, running four to ten miles each time.
God’s grace has played a critical role in this team’s winning streak. “We give God the glory for everything we do at Ranger Challenge,” says Kile. “I’ve seen God do miraculous things in my three years of being here.” The cadets recognize that God gave them strength when they had none, and their faith in Him provided a source of motivation.
One final reason for their success is teamwork. The team’s desire to compete and commitment to each other have been key aspects of their success. The cadets kept each other motivated during their toughest moments, providing encouragement and support.
“There’s no way you’re going to get through Ranger Challenge thinking that you’re going to do it all yourself,” Lewis says. “And there’s no way you’re going to get through life like that either.”
The Purpose
The secret to their success relates directly to the very reason they participate. Lewis sums up the reason in two words: “Direction and Purpose.” This competition drives cadets to push beyond average expectations and propel forward in the ROTC program.
“[The Ranger Challenge is] developing us not only as individuals but as soldiers,” explains Chovan. The preparation and participation in this challenge enhances the cadets’ military knowledge and physical strength.
Another purpose for competing in the Ranger Challenge is to be set apart. Lewis explains that the cadets who participate receive points that affect their national ranking. This ranking determines their future position once they graduate, allowing them to stand out among the thousands of other cadets in the nation.
The Honors
Upon winning first place, the cadets received a plaque and streamer which they proudly hung alongside all the others in Module W. In February, they will be recognized in chapel for their accomplishments, and yet another year will be added to the banner hanging in the gymnasium.
What Maranatha’s Ranger Challenge teams have done in the last 9 years is truly astounding. “To have a young program that has so consistently won the pinnacle competition for ROTC is a giant point of pride,” says Captain DeGreeff. And truly, the Maranatha family is proud. Their 2017 Ranger Challenge team displayed unwavering dedication, leading to yet another remarkable victory.