A team of Army ROTC cadets from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs earned first place in a competition considered the varsity sport of ROTC.
A nine-member team of UCCS cadets earned top honors from 11 teams gathered at the U.S. Air Force Academy Oct. 13-14. The teams, representing universities from Colorado, Wyoming and South Dakota, competed in two days of events that ranged from rifle marksmanship to a 10-kilometer forced road march and a one-rope bridge competition that carried the cadets over a ravine.
“The purpose of the competition is to challenge cadets in tough mental and physical competition,” Lt. Col. James DesJardin, professor, Military Science, said. “The UCCS cadets trained six days a week since August for this, preparation that earned them top honors.”
In addition to testing physical abilities, DesJardin said the competition enhances leadership, develops team cohesion and promotes healthy competition between battalions.
The UCCS ROTC battalion last won the competition in 1992.
Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) program is a college-based, officer commissioning program that focuses on leadership development, problem solving, strategic planning, and professional ethics. The Army ROTC program at UCCS was founded in 1983 and had a 40 percent enrollment increase this year.
The winning team members, field of study at UCCS, and hometown follow.
Michael Baron, business undergraduate, Colorado Springs
Joseph Bishop, business undergraduate, Colorado Springs
Matthew Brooks, political science undergraduate, Colorado Springs
Ruth Corfah, business graduate, Colorado Springs
Geoffrey Dean, history undergraduate, Colorado Springs
Jason Jewkes, business undergraduate, Colorado Springs
William Reilly, business graduate, Rhode Island
Nathan Schill, engineering undergraduate, Colorado Springs
UCCS, located on Austin Bluffs Parkway in Colorado Springs, is the fastest growing university in Colorado, and one of the fastest growing universities in the nation. The University offers 29 bachelor’s degrees, 18 master’s, and four doctoral degrees. The campus enrolls about 7,700 students.