rudder's rangers awarded coveted pin
Texas A&M University’s elite cadet organization Rudder’s Rangers just capped off another superb year of training with their annual banquet last Friday. The banquet was packed to the brim with over 100 guests and another thirty-five awardees of the coveted Rudder’s Rangers pin. The pin symbolizes that a cadet has successfully completed his or her first year of training with the company, which includes three field training exercises (FTX), weekly physical and tactical training, and a grueling capstone event the Best Ranger Competition, won this year by CDT James Thompson ’11 from Company A-1.
Founded in the 1970’s to train cadets to master the skills of a light infantryman, Rudder’s Rangers has grown by leaps and bounds over the years and boasts having sent numerous cadets and newly commissioned officers to the U.S. Army’s top-notch Ranger School. The vast majority of these former cadets and commissioned officers credit their success at Ranger School to their involvement with Rudder’s Rangers.
Last September Rudder’s Rangers started with over 120 new cadets, of whom only 35 made it to the end and earned the right to wear the pin of a Rudder’s Ranger. Weekly training consisted of three days-a-week physical training, and once-a-week tactical training. In addition, in the Fall the Rangers participated in a two-day FTX, which trained them in land navigation and squad tactics. Following on the success of this FTX, the Rangers went to FT. Hood, Texas in January for three days to hone their urban war fighting skills. In March the Rangers participated in another overnight FTX that helped prepare them for the grueling 28-hour endurance competition called Best Ranger Competition that serves as the final right of passage for an up and coming Ranger.
The Best Ranger Competition began on the Mar. 28, continued through the following day, and tested these cadets in every event and skill they had learned over the course of the year. Taxing every ounce of physical and mental strength the Rangers had, and culminating in a twelve mile ruck-march during the heat of the day, only 35 of the original 44 participants succeeded in their endeavor to conquer Best Ranger Competition. These thirty-five went on to be awarded their Rudder’s Rangers pins on Apr. 18.
Congratulations to all of the recipients!
Barton, Allison ’10 SQ 8
Batey, Daniel ’11 D-2
Duran, Jonathan ’11 SQ 23
Fletcher, Daniel ’11 E-1
Fuller, Levi ’09 B-2
George, Preston ’11 B-2
Gooden, Sherman ’09 B-2
Grotelueschen, Luke ’11 I-1
Gruning, Nicolas ’11 B-2
Harpham, Adam ’10 D-1
Hennig, Graham ’11 I-1
Hines, Calvin ‘11
Howell, Troy ’11 B-2
James, Brad ’10 B-1
Jeanes, Chris ’11 E-1
Kennedy, Travis ’11 B-2
Lenk, Steven ’10 SQ-2
Lenz, Brian ’10 B-2
Little, Brian ’11 B-2
Mcgilvray, Daniel ’11 E-1
Morris, Reuben ’11 D-2
Morvant, Jesse ’11 B-2
Mulvaney, Patrick ’10 B-2
Nunez, Joseph ’10 SQ-8
Robinson, Joseph ’11 B-2
Rodriguez, Fernando ’09 SQ-23
Rodriguez, Jaime ’11 D-2
Roeth, Jason ’10 B-1
Sanchez, Paul ’10 D-1
Sims, Will ’11 B-1
Soule, Richard ’11 I-1
Stawaiz, Russ ’10 B-1
Thompson, James ’11 A-1
Whalen, Kyle ’11 B-2
Whiteman, Daniel ’11 K-1
