UOG ROTC displays unity, teamwork at regional Ranger Challenge
UOG ROTC displays unity, teamwork at regional Ranger Challenge
UOG ROTC displays unity, teamwork at regional Ranger Challenge
4/11/2024
A team of ROTC cadets from the University of Guam put their teamwork, physical fitness, and military and leadership skills to the test against 19 other schools at the Army ROTC Ranger Challenge on March 2 at Fort Irwin in California. As one of the smaller schools to compete within the Western region competition, the UOG team secured sixth place after the first day but finished overall in the bottom half.
“Coming from a school with a smaller pool of students, we faced unique challenges,” said Jeffrey Anthony Seo, a senior at UOG and captain of the team. “Despite being the underdogs […] we displayed exemplary teamwork, outperforming schools with greater resources. Our team’s unity and hard work showcased our ability to overcome obstacles, proving that despite our size and limited resources, we are a force to be reckoned with.”
The Army ROTC Ranger Challenge is a highly esteemed annual event within the national ROTC community. It serves as a rigorous test of cadets’ physical and mental capabilities while fostering teamwork, leadership, and camaraderie.
Teams are assessed on their performance in a series of military skills and physical fitness challenges, including rifle marksmanship, weapons assembly, land navigation, First Aid and casualty evacuation, obstacle courses and physical fitness, tactical combat casualty care, and leadership.
The cadets began intensive training for the event in October, beginning their days at 5 a.m., five days per week. The Army ROTC webpage says that “Ranger Challenge team members accomplish more before 8 a.m. than most college students accomplish in an entire day.”
Fifty UOG cadets competed for 11 spots on the UOG team. The tryout consisted of a
two-mile run, a four-mile ruck march, pushups, pullups, and burpees. Those with the
fastest times made the team:
- Jeffrey Seo
- Gavin Whitt
- Franklin Babauta
- Aaron Gumataotao
- Khloe Miranda
- Leimana Naholowaa
- Kevin Paat
- Kyle Paat
- Brian Canlas
- Christian Delgado
- Christopher Eclavea
“I am most proud of having the opportunity to see the growth and development as leaders in myself and my peers,” said Khloe Miranda, a junior UOG ROTC cadet. “I noticed that we became more willing to compete with a purpose. […] Our purpose didn’t have to be to win, it was to show who we are as a team, how cohesive we are, and how much we trust in one another to get through each event.”
UOG will have an opportunity to send a team again next year. Within the 8th Brigade Ranger Challenge, the teams are competing for a spot to represent the Western region in the Sandhurst Military Skills Competition hosted by the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.
