NEW ORLEANS – Louisiana National Guardsmen from the 2225th Multi-Role Bridge Company, 205th Engineer Battalion, taught Army ROTC cadets from Tulane University how to operate Zodiac boats and work as a team in Lacombe, Oct. 2.
The cadets will represent the Orleans Battalion at the Army ROTC Ranger Challenge competition at Fort Benning, Ga., Oct. 16-17.
The Ranger Challenge is an opportunity for schools to compete against each other through military tasks such as a written examination testing their Army knowledge, a 10 kilometer road march and other physical fitness drills and field exercises.
This will be the first year that Zodiacs are included in the competition, so the 2225th was asked to help train the cadets. Normally the rafts are powered by a motor, but the cadets will have to manually row as a team for the competition.
“One of the most important things we wanted to help show them was how to work together,” said Staff Sgt. Darren E. Toups of the 2225th. “The process of getting the commands and working as a unit is what will help them the most.”
Tulane’s team for the Ranger Challenge has 11 cadets, including two females.
“I think they did really well today. This was very good for their team building skills,” said Master Sgt. Thomas Lewis Jr., senior military instructor for the Orleans Battalion. “Having freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors all on the [same] team … it’s good for them to work with each other extensively.”
The Tulane Army ROTC achieved third overall scoring in the Ranger Challenge in 2009 and won first place in 2007 when the competition was held at Camp Shelby, Miss.