Contact: Kimberly Osborne (304) 766-3363 kosborne@wvstateu.edu
INSTITUTE, W.Va. – Competing against similar sized programs from around the country, the West Virginia State University (WVSU) Yellow Jacket ROTC Battalion finished third in the rigorous two-day Ranger Challenge competition held Oct. 25-26 at Fort Pickett, Va.
The Yellow Jacket Battalion finished higher than any other ROTC program in the state of West Virginia, and in placing third in its class defeated such programs as those at Duke, the University of Virginia and Marshall University.
“I believe this is the first time in the 26-year history of the Ranger Challenge competition that WVSU’s Army ROTC Ranger Challenge team placed third in the Black Division,” said LTC Tony Taylor, WVSU Professor of Military Science. “The Black Division is composed of 19 smaller ROTC programs, each with less than 100 enrolled students. We are all very proud of the 12 Cadets that performed exceptionally well this year.”
The Yellow Jacket Battalion’s 12-man Ranger Challenge Team consisted of six Cadets from WVSU, five from Glenville State College, and one from the West Virginia University Institute of Technology.
More than 38 schools and 480 cadets competed in the two-day competition and were divided into two divisions based on the size of their ROTC programs: the Black Division with less than 100 Cadets; and the Gold Division with programs of more than 100 Cadets.
The Ranger Challenge competition focuses on basic infantry skills, with squad-sized teams competing against other schools in rifle marksmanship, constructing a rope-bridge, patrolling, disassembly and reassembly of the M16A2 Rifle, the Army Physical Fitness Test and multiple timed road marches.
The purpose of the Ranger Challenge Competition is to challenge cadets in tough mental and physical competition, enhance leadership, develop team cohesion, and to develop healthy competition amongst 38 ROTC battalions assigned to 4th Brigade, US Army Cadet Command.
The Yellow Jacket Battalion at West Virginia State University features students from WVSU, the University of Charleston, Glenville State College and the West Virginia University Institute of Technology.
For more information about the Yellow Jacket Battalion, contact LTC Tony Taylor at (304) 766-3291 or e-mail .
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