Several Titan Company ROTC members spent part of spring break doing some intense marching and heavy lifting.
The University of Wisconsin Oshkosh was represented by six Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) cadets and one of its cadre (leader) members at Purdue University’s 4th Annual Norwegian Ruck March on March 23.
The march was 18.6 miles and needed to be completed in less than 4.5 hours. In addition, the ruck march competition required participants to carry at least 25 pounds in their backpacks while wearing their military uniforms with boots.
Titan Company cadets Jacob Banfield, Harrison Collar, Melissa George, Jackson Gifford and Mitchell Kudick and Sgt. 1st Class Nathan Preder took on the challenge and were successful in completing the march in the time allowed.
“I am very proud of all the cadets who challenged themselves to complete this event,” Preder said. “We were all feeling mighty sore afterwards, with blisters and rub burns to boot. After the event, we stopped for lunch and most of us stumbled or limped our way into the restaurant. . . All in all, it will be something for us all to talk about for years to come.”
Purdue University hosted more than 700 participants from all over the U.S. at this year’s event. Nonperishable food items were collected and participants were encouraged to use canned goods and other items to add weight to their backpacks. More than 500 pounds of food was collected in the 2018 event.
Participants who finish within the standards are awarded the Norwegian Ruck March pin, which is an authorized foreign award that the cadets can wear on their dress uniforms. Cadets took on the challenge to earn the pins for their uniforms, but they also
pushed themselves to gain confidence in their ability to march with weighted packs as well as build camaraderie among other cadets from Titan Company.
ROTC college and university-based programs are designed to train commissioned officers of the U.S. Armed Forces.
Learn more: