Army ROTC Cadets Compete in 4th Brigade Ranger Challenge

A team of Army ROTC cadets from Old Dominion University placed 13th out of 40 teams in the annual 4th Brigade Ranger Challenge Competition Oct. 21-23 at Fort Pickett, Va.

The team was captained by Cadet Steven Bain, a junior from Virginia Beach, and assisted by Cadet Kyle Palentino, a sophomore from Richmond, Va.

"They were prepared and motivated. They represented ODU and the ROTC program very well," said Master Sgt. Orelanderg Sullivan, senior military instructor with the ODU Army ROTC, and coach of the team.

The Ranger Challenge Competition is held among 300 universities nationwide, fielding teams to compete in a series of challenging events. The name and spirit for the competition are derived from the U.S. Army Ranger School at Fort Benning, Ga. Training for the event includes rigorous physical fitness workouts, information classes on various elements of light infantry tactics, and a field training exercise, where rifle marksmanship, rope bridge, land navigation, a 10-kilometer road march and many other skills are tested.

Other team members included Michelle Deegan from Leesburg, Va.; G.B. Curry from Severna Park, Md.; Johanna Guarino from South Riding, Va.; Bradley Anderson from Isleham, England; James King from Chesapeake; Charles Boone from Woodbridge, Va.; Phillip Hinkes from King George, Va.; Ryan Romero from Leesburg, Va.; Jeremiah Clester from Union Bridge, Md.; and Kenneth Bowden from Chesapeake.