NEWS

Editors: For information on covering the Sept. 18 and Oct. 29-31
competitions, call Capt. Jim Davis, 919-962-5546

By BROOKE EIDENMILLER
UNC-CH News Services

CHAPEL HILL -- Don’t be alarmed if you see a group of young men and women running along the dark streets of Chapel Hill between the hours of 5 a.m. and 7 a.m. carrying flashlights and large weapons. They aren’t dangerous.

These early-risers constitute the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ROTC Battalion; they are physically and mentally preparing themselves for future military service. The group includes 20 Army cadets who are training for a Sept. 18 competition at Camp Butner from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and an Oct. 29-31 Ranger Challenge at Fort Jackson, S.C.

Capt. Jim Davis, UNC-CH military science instructor and training officer, said a concerned faculty member called the ROTC office asking about the early morning training ritual after he saw cadets "bounding in and out of the woods with weapons."

Davis said cadets were actually practicing a rope bridge in the woods, and there was no cause for alarm. Although the M-16 rifles were fake that day, cadets do carry real, but unloaded, weapons most of the time. Running with rifles builds upper body strength, Davis said. Safety precautions are taken as cadets follow Army guidelines, and the weapons are stored in the Chapel Hill Police Department when not used. Local police are notified of the exercises.

Cadets run, lift weights or practice with weapons Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 5-7 a.m. Davis said the runs test physical fitness and mental alertness: cadets slap and pull on their weapons in what is called a function check, while senior cadets quiz underclassmen on military knowledge. "The students are very dedicated, and they believe in what they are doing," said Davis.

Two 10-person ranger teams from UNC-CH will compete against East Carolina, Duke and Wake Forest university cadets in the "Ranger Challenge Head-to-Head" Saturday at Camp Butner.

Cadets will run two miles, shoot rifles, assemble and disassemble weapons, make a rope bridge, participate in a land navigation course and march six miles with 25- to 35-pound backpacks. The all-day competition prepares cadets for the annual Ranger Challenge Competition at Fort Jackson.

Thirty to 35 Army ROTC teams from North and South Carolina schools will participate in the Ranger Challenge. The three-day event includes a physical fitness test, patrolling and map-reading exams, a hand-grenade course, a march and tests in weapon assembly and disassembly, shooting, land navigation and rope bridges.

UNC-CH ranger teams placed 16th in competition last year. Davis said the 20 members of this year’s teams can rely on the experience of only five returning members; the other team members are new.

Winners receive a team trophy, pendants, ribbons for their uniforms and a sense of personal satisfaction, Davis said. "After a freshman experiences the Ranger Challenge, his or her confidence, desire and ability to excel at anything increase."

Cadets take a limited number of ROTC courses in addition to a normal course load. "These cadets are average students having fun, but learning leadership and developing values and appreciation for their country," said Davis.

Army ROTC, a program of leadership and military skills training, prepares students to become officers in the active Army, Army Reserves or Army National Guard after graduation.

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(Eidenmiller is a junior journalism and mass communication major from Hickory.)

Army ROTC contact: Capt. Jim Davis, 919-962-5546

News Services contacts: print, L.J. Toler, 919-962-8589; broadcast, Karen Moon, 919-962-8595