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Fort Knox, Ky. – As the early morning Kentucky mist rolled in, the sounds of cadences and team chants echoed across Fort Knox as JROTC cadets prepared themselves for a rigorous day of competition. No Raider event is for the faint of heart, but the JROTC National Raider Challenge took the competition to a whole new level.
The JROTC National Raider Challenge is the annual championship event for JROTC Raider Challenge teams, hosted by U.S. Army Cadet Command for the first time at Fort Knox, this year. From November 2-5, more than 3,000 JROTC cadets from nearly 180 high schools across the country competed to be the best Raider team.
“One of the reasons we wanted to have this competition here is to showcase the power of JROTC,” Maj. Gen. Antonio Munera, USACC Commanding General, told cadets at the final ceremony. “I don’t care what you decide to do in life, just by watching all of you out here competing, I know that you will all be successful.”
Cadets spent the long weekend plunging into mud pits, attacking obstacle courses, and navigating rough terrain while carrying a simulated casualty. The competition featured five grueling events: the cross-country rescue, physical team test, one-rope bridge, a 5K run and the infamous gauntlet. The overall winning teams for these events then nominated two cadets to compete in the Ultimate Raider event, which consisted of an 800 meter obstacle course and a two mile race to the final finish at the parade field.
“I’d rather be nowhere else right now,” said Will Braunschweig, an Army JROTC cadet from St. John’s Northwestern Military Academy in Delafield, Wis. “I love the pain, I love the suck, this what makes life worth it.”
JROTC cadets such as Braunschweig and his team have been training over many months for this national-level event. The teams who displayed the best combination of fitness, grit, and determination were called onto the stage to be recognized as a national champion. Regardless of whether teams placed in the top of their divisions, all competitors left with a sense of accomplishment and pride.
“I got to represent my school, I got to learn about military culture, and I got to go through these challenges and build myself, as well as my team,” said Braunschweig.
In between the competition’s events, cadets were able to view informational displays from various Army units and see demonstrations from the 101st Airborne Division’s air assault team and the 34th Military Police Company’s military working dog team.
As the long weekend of competition came to an end, the top-placing cadets received a potentially life-changing surprise from Cadet Command’s commanding general.
“To recognize these great cadets and their talents we offered all of the overall winning team members a four-year ROTC scholarship to any college they want to attend,” said Munera.
Munera recognized the following teams from the Masters and All-Service divisions:
Masters
Male: Adairsville High School, Georgia
Mixed: Georgia Military College Preparatory School
Female: Leavenworth High School, Kansas
All-Service
Male: Live Oaks High School, Ohio
Mixed: Clarkrange High School, Tennessee
Female: Live Oaks High School, Ohio
About Army ROTC
Army ROTC is one of the best leadership courses in the country and is part of your college curriculum. Through classes and field training, Army ROTC provides you with the tools to become an Army Officer without interfering with your other classes. ROTC also provides you with discipline and money for tuition while enhancing your college experience.
Army ROTC offers pathways to becoming an Army Officer for high school students, current active-duty Soldiers, and for current National Guard and Army Reserve Soldiers through the Simultaneous Membership Program.
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