Embry‑Riddle ROTC Team Finishes Strong in Sandhurst Military Skills Competition

Embry‑Riddle Aeronautical University’s Army ROTC Cadet Ranger Challenge Team finished 12th out of 48 teams in the annual Sandhurst International Military Skills Competition, held April 26-27 at the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, New York.

The Eagle Battalion team, which consisted of 11 cadets, also secured fourth place out of 16 Army ROTC units from around the country after completing the grueling, two-day competition against teams from across the globe. The 2024 Sandhurst competition included more than 15 miles of rucking and 14 events challenging cadets on various skills.

“Our team performed phenomenally, putting us in the top 25%,” said Master Sgt. Jonathan Avery, senior Military Science instructor and coach of the Ranger Challenge Team.

This year’s finish for the Eagle Battalion’s team was significantly up from last year, when Embry-Riddle placed 21st out of 40 in the 2023 competition. The Embry-Riddle team was led by seniors Cadet Maj. Theodore Race and Cadet 1st Sgt. Laina Tallman, who are Sandhurst veterans who have competed during past years.

“The team performed beyond our expectations; we tailored our training to simulate the competition as close as we could,” said Race. “The Sandhurst course is designed for teams to make mistakes, and we did very well preparing for any potential errors.”

The first day of the competition consisted of 7.1 total miles of rucking between various events.

Embry-Riddle was among the highest-scoring teams in several activity “lanes,” including weapons assembly, communication and the zodiac. After the first eight events, the team members headed into an excruciating eight-mile ruck to Camp Buckner, where they would rest until the night-land-navigation portion of the day commenced. The second day of the competition included a timed obstacle course, M4 range qualification, a call for fire simulation and, finally, the Crucible. The Crucible challenged teams to carry heavy litters, push a Humvee, crawl under a tunnel with equipment in tow, and throw grenades into a small area target. Senior Cadet Hank Peters successfully made his second grenade throw into the target, allowing the team to rush across the finish line and celebrate the end of the 2024 Sandhurst military skills competition.

“The team aspect came into play during the movements,” said Race. “The mountains at Westpoint were brutal, and we made sure to support each other.”

Cadet Reina Garnett also contributed to this story.