The West Point Mountaineering Team competed in the Northern Warfare Challenge in Fort McCoy, Wisconsin, on February 21-22. They emerged victorious, placing first for the second year in a row. The Northen Warfare Challenge, coined the toughest race in ROTC, began 10 years ago with just the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, but it has since expanded to hosting schools from as far away as New Mexico, Arizona, and New York.
The event tested more than 50 teams, comprised of nearly 250 cadets, on their ability to operate in a cold weather environment. The first day of competition involved a 4.25-mile ruck run punctuated by lanes that tested them on their ability to operate in cold weather conditions, package and evacuate a cold weather casualty, and analyze weather in cold regions and mountainous terrain. On the second day, the Mountaineers embarked on a 12-mile ruck in the snow with 2,000 feet of elevation gain.
In an exciting race, West Point swapped the lead several times with Wheaton’s team until the last two miles, when they passed Wheaton and finished in first. CDTs Orrin Miller ’25, Sebastian English ’26, Luke Garver ’26, and Jonathan Benchoff ’27 all returned to defend their title, with CDT Clayton English ’28 contributing to the team’s victory for the first time.
Cadet Clubs at West Point are made possible by the generous supporters who contribute to the Margin of Excellence.
The image and excerpts were taken from the Weekly DCA Blast and https://www.army.mil.
