Panther Battalion Is #1 in Sixth Brigade

MELBOURNE, FLA.—The Florida Tech Army ROTC Ranger Challenge Team competed among 19 universities in Florida, Georgia and Puerto Rico in October 2007 to earn overall first place in the Sixth Brigade Ranger Challenge competition, Oct. 19-21.

The annual event, held in Fort Stewart, Ga., the home of the Third Infantry Division, comprised eight events. They were the Army Physical Fitness Test, Leadership Exam, land navigation, rope bridge, 10K rucksack road march, hand grenade assault course, weapons disassembly and assembly, and rifle marksmanship.

The hand-picked Florida Tech team included cadets from Florida Tech ROTC partner schools, Brevard Community College and Keiser University. Contenders included battalions from University of Florida, University of Georgia, Georgia Tech and two-time reigning champion Florida State University.

“The decisive victory was so great that Florida Tech was invited to compete in the Sandhurst Competition at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y. Only half a dozen ROTC teams from around the country will compete against the service academies as well as the British and Canadian Royal Academies,” said Maj. Jerrold Tyquiengco, officer in charge of the Ranger Challenge team and assistant professor of military Science.