Collegiate Times

Image: 2011-03-28 23:10:53

On Saturday, Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets participated in the Annual Squad Tactical Challenge.

Sixty-four squads, comprised of nine cadets each, participated in the required event. Each squad was given a prescribed time to begin the course with times beginning at 7 a.m. until late into the afternoon.

The event consisted of 10 obstacles, beginning at the obstacle course on Plantation Road, and concluded with a knowledge test at Shultz dining hall.

Cadets have been preparing since January for the obstacles faced this past weekend.

This annual event gives cadets the opportunity to develop leadership skills, while training them on
basic tasks that also require special skill set.

At select stations only a few cadets from the squad participated. Cadets were chosen at random from the group to ensure that all members of the squad were prepared for each individual event.

The members of Bravo Squad Two have been preparing for Saturday’s event with weekly company time to practice tasks.
The sophomore members of the squad mentioned they saw a longer and more detail orientated challenge than they saw at last year’s event.

“Last year we didn’t have the repel tower or the mental test, so that is something new that has been added this year,” said Ethan Yelverton, a sophomore wildlife science major.

“There is a focus on working as a team to learn something new and also basic military skills” said Randy Coates, a senior mechanical engineering major. 

Cadet Perlik, a sophomore agricultural economics major said that one of the most difficult challenges cadets face is staying together and working as a team throughout the course.

“[The course] enhances moral with a focus on teamwork and a sense of pride within each company” he said.

A version of this article appeared in the Mar 29 issue of the Collegiate Times.