The Ranger Challenge competition is conducted over two days on a non-tactical course. The mission is to challenge Cadets’ mental and physical toughness and to develop leadership while fostering teamwork and esprit-de-corps. Teams participate in nine graded events.
The GBB 2022 Ranger Challenge Team receiving instructions for the day’s events. Photo courtesy of CPT Nate Wherley.
The event was held on October 13-14, 2022 at Camp Williams, Utah. Eleven teams from across Utah, Wyoming, Idaho and Colorado attended the competition – representing 9 different colleges or universities. Each team competed for the win here, so they could move onto the Brigade competition.
This year’s Golden Buffalo Battalion team was made up of the following Cadets:
1. Cadet Jonathan Cattan, Coach, a senior at the Colorado School of Mines
2. Cadet Isaac Mun, a senior at the University of Colorado Boulder
3. Cadet Nick Bennison, a junior at the University of Colorado Boulder
4. Cadet Ocean Tugaoen, a junior at the University of Colorado Boulder
5. Cadet Matt Biesiada, a freshman at the University of Colorado Boulder
6. Cadet Rachel Densmore, a freshman at the Colorado Christian University (CCU)
7. Cadet Matthew Ferrante, a freshman at the Colorado Christian University (CCU)
8. Cadet Eldon Jackson, a freshman at Red Rocks Community College (RRCC)
9. Cadet Tess Lozensky, a freshman at the Colorado Christian University (CCU)
10. Cadet Scott Smith, a freshman at the University of Colorado Boulder
11. Cadet Brian Von Buhr, a freshman at the Metro State University of Denver (MSUD)
Cadets showing their strength and teamwork as they maneuver a log down a rocky path. Photo courtesy of CPT Nate Wherley.
While we finished in 9th place, we had 7 freshmen on our team who got a lot of experience out of the competition. The team excelled at the tactical lanes consisting of grenade identification and employment, call for fire, and radio and machine gun assembly and functions check. These freshmen will now be the base of experience the Golden Buffalo Battalion team needs for the next few years of the competition.
Awesome job Cadets!!!
“Civilize the mind, make savage the body.”
– Ranger Challenge Motto
Cadets preparing to move on to the next event. Photo courtesy of CPT Nate Wherley.