Extra-Curricular Activities
Ranger Challenge
Ranger Challenge candidates first undergo a two-week, physically intensive tryout session. After observing and evaluating all candidates throughout this entire period, the team captains make cuts and establish official teams. Team members then train five days a week over the course of six weeks in preparation for the Task Force Competition comprised of northern and central Illinois ROTC programs. Training is not limited to physical fitness, but also includes various soldier skills such as first aid, hand grenade assault, and marksmanship. These teams then compete annually at Marseilles Training Center, Illinois over a three day period in October. The Rolling Thunder Battalion 9-male and 5-female teams have taken first place in 21 of the last 26 years.
The first place winners in the 9-man and 5-female categories at the Task Force Competition advance to the Brigade Competition held at Fort McCoy, Wisconsin. This competition is comprised of the best teams from 8 states across the Midwest and challenges them even more than the Task Force Competition. The winners of the Brigade Competition advance to the annual Sandhurst Competition held at the United States Military Academy in West Point, NY.
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