Activities and Organizations
PT (Physical Training)
Maintaining
physical fitness is essential in the United States Army to ensure combat
readiness and health. PT is performed three times a week Monday, Wednesday, and
Friday for an hour in the morning before classes start.
FTX (Field Training Exercise)
Every
semester there is an FTX that is held for the weekend to reinforce and use
those tools learned in the classroom and lab to apply out in the field at West
Camp Rapid. Cadets will participate in doing day and night land navigation; basic
rifle marksmanship (BRM); field leadership reaction course (FLRC), an obstacle
that needs to be completed by a team; squad situational training exercise
(STX), a squad movement that has an objective to be completed and is composed
and operated by many of the subjects taught in class and lab throughout the
semester; and patrolling which is like STX but on a larger scale.
Ranger Challenge
The
varsity sport of ROTC that competes against other ROTC programs from South
Dakota and neighboring states at Camp Ripley, Minnesota in the middle of
October during every fall semester. The competition consists of many activities
that are performed during lab and at FTXs such as land navigation, one rope
bridge, army physical fitness test (APFT), basic rifle marksmanship, field
leadership reaction course, patrolling, and STX.
Buddy Ranger
The
cadet equivalent of the Best Ranger competition, Buddy Ranger consists of a weekend
of cadets from around the nation to compete in teams of two in Lawrence,
Kansas.
Pershing Rifles
The
National Society of Pershing Rifles is a student led and -operated leadership
development organization that was founded by General John J. Pershing to
develop outstanding traits of leadership, military science, military bearing,
and discipline within the framework of a military-oriented, honorary fraternity
as stated by the founder himself. The organization is open to both civilians
with or without any connection to ROTC and cadets.
Army 10-Miler
Cadets
are able to participate in the Army’s annual Army Ten-Mile Race and Expo which
is conducted in our nation’s capital by the U.S. Army Military District of
Washington (MDW). Attracting over 35,000
runners and 900 teams from around the world, the Army Ten-Miler (ATM)
exemplifies the Spirit of Sport and the Spirit of a Nation. Participants include military, civilians,
wheel chair athletes and wounded warrior athletes. ATM’s mission is to support Army outreach,
build morale, and promote physical fitness.
Over 900 Soldiers and 900 volunteers support the Army’s “world class”
ATM race.
Bataan Memorial Death March
This
is a 26.2 mile marathon course is held annually at the end of March in White
Sands, New Mexico. The Death March has many categories to compete in such as
military light and military heavy, just to name a couple that the Mount
Rushmore Battalion has competed in.