FSB Alumni/ae,
Last weekend over 20FEB2021, the Fighting Saints Battalion sent a team of five Cadets to the bluffs of La Crosse, Wisconsin for what has been deemed “the hardest race in ROTC.” Our Cadets were five out of a total 145 Cadets from all across the Midwest who participated in the 2021 Northern Warfare Challenge. This race truly is the hardest and requires a unique level of mental agility, mental toughness, physical strength, and overall grit. The competition includes the following events: a 16+ mile ruck march with 35lb ruck (in addition to team equipment), engaging a 75m target with an air rifle from various positions, starting a 1-foot-tall fire with steel wool and a flashlight, packaging a hypothermic casualty (dummy) in hypothermia wrap and evacuate via SKEDCO, demonstrating mastery of mountaineering knots, and completing a written exam on cold weather operations (based on the CWOC handbook). Unfortunately, some of the Cadets on the team endured unexpected injuries before the competition and had to be replaced the week before. Even with these trials, FSB still claimed a 2nd place finish! Here are some words from the Cadets who participated in this year’s Northern Warfare Challenge:
“The second-place finish was not what we were hoping for this year, but the fact that we performed that well in light of the surrounding circumstances says a lot about the culture of the Fighting Saints Battalion. We lost several team members to injuries leading up to the competition, but Cadets Hansmann and Lene stepped up and volunteered to compete the week of competition. Even though they had not been training with us up until that point, they were able to learn on the fly and keep pace with the team in a way that allowed us to nearly win the competition. While breaking the winning streak is frustrating, I am proud of how everyone adapted to the unexpected challenges and focused on the things in their control. There’s a lot to be learned from this competition and the train up, and I have no doubt we will be equipped to bring the trophy back to SJU next year.” -MSIII, Cadet Moran
“After (Northern Warfare) I can honestly say it lives up to its name as “the hardest race in ROTC”. I think what gave us a competitive edge was taking time to hit some steep hills with rucks on. The race itself was incredibly hard both mentally and physically but left me feeling fulfilled (and tired). Next year I think our best bet would be to focus on skills and endurance, if we do that, we will continue to represent the battalion!” -MSIII, Cadet Palmquist
“For this year’s NWC, I had a great experience learning about cold weather survival and training to compete in cold weather conditions. At the competition we were faced with many challenges that we had to overcome in the moment. It was a great experience being able to see the older Cadets solve those problems on the fly and be able to contribute however I could. It was very cool to see the older Cadets show leadership skills in challenging moments and I hope I can emulate that leadership in the future.” -MSII, Cadet Ringler
“I had a lot of fun at this year’s Northern Warfare Competition. I was kind of thrown in last minute due to some original team members being injured, so I sadly did not get to experience the full training cycle. However, our Captain, CDT Moran did an amazing job at getting me up to speed on the skills such as knot tying and hypothermia wraps, and by the time the competition came around I felt confident in our ability to be a competitive team. I enjoyed being able to sing and try and keep morale up throughout the competition, and although it was a grueling 6 hours, I had a great time rucking through the bluffs of La Crosse with the team. I was slightly disheartened that St John’s was unable to pull off 1st place for the third year in a row, but I believe that even placing with such a last-minute team is a great testament to CDT Moran’s leadership abilities.” -MSIII, CDT Hansmann
“This year completion was an event to remember for me because I’ve never done it, add last minute. The events included a 16-mile ruck, carrying at least 35 pounds through the bluffs, a shooting lane, fire building, a skedco lane, knot tying, and a written exam. My favorite was the fire building lane because it’s amazing how quick you can get a flame started with the right materials and techniques. My team was really what kept me going because I knew they were enduring as much as I was.” -MSIV, Cadet Lene
We’re extremely proud of CDTs Moran, Palmquist, Ringler, Lene, and Hansmann; we look forward to taking our third NWC 1st place finish at next year’s competition. For more pictures and information on NWC, please check out the official Facebook page by using the following link: https://www.facebook.com/northernwarfarechallenge/
FSB is as busy as ever so stay tuned to hear about upcoming platoon STX, the 12-mile ruck march, and more!
Armor of Light!
La Crosse bluffs, one day before competition
3rd Brigade Commander congratulating FSB Cadets