Carson High NJROTC earns fourth place at national competition in Fort Knox, Kentucky
Submitted by Jeff Munson on Mon, 12/04/2023 - 9:20am
Carson High School’s Naval Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (NJROTC) program earned fourth place overall (All-Service – Mixed division) at the National Raider Team Challenge in Fort Knox, Ky. last month. The inaugural event hosted by the U.S. Army Cadet Command brought together talented cadets from across the nation to compete in a series of physically challenging events.
As the early morning Kentucky mist rolled in Nov. 2-5, the sounds of cadences and team chants echoed across Fort Knox. More than 3,000 cadets in 250 teams from approximately 180 high schools across the United States came together to show off their strength and skills after months of training.
CHS NJROTC competed in the All-Service category (Army, Marine Corps, Navy and US Air Force teams), Mixed division (males and females on the team). There were 40 teams in their division with whom they competed directly against. CHS NJROTC was the only Navy Team represented.
Cadets spent the long weekend plunging into mud pits, attacking obstacle courses and navigating rough terrain while carrying a simulated casualty. The competition featured five grueling events: the cross country rescue, physical team test, one-rope bridge, a 5K run and the infamous gauntlet.
Here is a summary of Carson High’s team placement in the five individual events and overall competition:
Second Place – one-rope bridge event
Third Place – 5K team run
Fourth Place – gauntlet event
Fifth Place – cross country rescue event
Seventh Place – physical team test event
“The cadets were amazing! They completely exceeded all expectations,” said Carson High’s Senior Chief Jerry Skirvin. “That night, before the results were announced, we had conversations about how happy they’d be just placing in the top 15 teams. To watch the expressions on their faces each time they were called up for a trophy was awe-inspiring.”
