Two Events Still a Mystery for Cadets

Capt. Edward D. Iwan

Iwan, a graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, was killed November 2004 in Fallujah Iraq while assigned to the 2^nd Battalion, 2^nd Infantry Regiment when a rocket-propelled grenade struck his Bradley Fighting Vehicle.  

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By Capt. Olivia Cobiskey

318th Public Affairs Operation Center

CAMP DODGE, IA – Cadets still have no idea what will be waiting for them at two of the stations Saturday, March 17 during the first 3rd ROTC Brigade Gaspers-Cahill Ranger Challenge.

The mystery is part of making the event more challenging this year, said Col. Dean P. Shultis, commander of the 3^rd Reserve Officer Training Corps command at Great Lakes, Ill.

“Nobody can train for them,” Shultis said. “You’ve just got to show up and figure it out on the go.”

It’s real world changing that honors the brigade’s 11 alumni who died in combat. The challenge was named for two of them, both University of Nebraska graduates, 1st Lt. Kevin J. Gaspers and Capt. Joel E. Cahill, were killed in Iraq.

The rest of the events are named for the other nine men who attended one of the schools in the brigade’s 10-state region, which includes North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, and Michigan’s upper peninsula. The two mystery stations are named for Capt. Edward D. Iwan and 1^st Lt. Benjamin John Hall. 

Iwan, a graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, was killed November 2004 in Fallujah Iraq while assigned to the 2^nd Battalion, 2^nd Infantry Regiment when a rocket-propelled grenade struck his Bradley Fighting Vehicle. 

Hall, a graduate of Michigan Technological University, was killed July 31, 2007 in the Chowkay Valley, Afghanistan while assigned to D Co., 2nd Battalion (Airborne), 503^rd Infantry Regiment from Vicenza, Italy.

Michael Bogda, 21, a junior at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, heard a lot of rumors about the mystery events, which included archery, pulling a Humvee or various survival skills exercises.

It was frustrating not knowing how to train for the events. However, winning the mystery event will come down to one thing, teamwork, Bogda said.

And his team has that in spades.

“If the teams aren’t working well together, then they are not going to win,” he said.

To build teamwork and esprit de corps his team did physical training five days a week and trained for events like the road march, orienteering, weapons assembly and disassembly, and constructing a one-rope bridge on the weekends.

“We did a lot of PT,” Bogda said.

Bogda’s team is on the right track, Shultis said.

There is a lot more walking between events, the events are tougher, and there are more physical and mental hardships; however, Shultis said the cadets would do fine if they remember two things – a commitment to each other and a commitment to excellence.

“There is no downtime this year,” he said. “Once you are in the arena, so to speak, you’re in the competition, there’s no help, there’s no parents handing out oranges, there’s nobody handing out hot chocolate to you.

“You have your food, you have your events, you have your team and you get each other through it.”

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1^st Lt. Benjamin John Hall. 

Hall, a graduate of Michigan Technological University, was killed July 31, 2007 in the Chowkay Valley, Afghanistan while assigned to D Co., 2nd Battalion (Airborne), 503^rd Infantry Regiment from Vicenza, Italy.

Army ROTC 3rd Bde. cadets ready for challenge to begin

A cadet from Iowa State University holds a placard memorializing 1^st Lt. Jared Southworth during the opening ceremony to the 3rd ROTC Brigade Gaspers-Cahill Ranger Challenge March 16 at Camp Dodge, Iowa. Southworth and one of his Soldiers were killed February 8, 2009 by an improvised explosive device during a road clearing operation near Kabul, Afghanistan. The challenge was named for two of the brigade’s 11 alumni who died in combat. Both University of Nebraska graduates, 1st Lt. Kevin J. Gaspers and Capt. Joel E. Cahill, were killed in Iraq.

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By Capt. Olivia Cobiskey
318th Public Affairs Operation Center

CAMP DODGE, IA – Cadets from across the Midwest stood at parade-rest while Col. Dean P. Shultis welcomed them to the first 3rd ROTC Brigade Gaspers-Cahill Ranger Challenge during an opening ceremony March 16.

“Winning is a habit,” said Shultis, commander of the 3^rd Reserve Officer Training Corps command at Great Lakes, Ill. “It takes preparation, commitment, and self-sacrifice. Something all of you have already shown by making here.

“You are already a step a head of your peers.”

The challenge was named for two of the brigade’s 11 alumni who died in combat. Both University of Nebraska graduates, 1st Lt. Kevin J. Gaspers and Capt. Joel E. Cahill, were killed in Iraq.

Claire Hansen, 22, a senior at Cahill’s alma mater, Creighton University, said she was inspired and motivated by Shultis’ speech.

“It’s really inspiring to hear someone like the colonel say that he’s proud of us and appreciates us coming here and that he thinks we’ve done a good job already,” said Hansen, who leaves for her Basic Officer Leadership Course in at the end of May. “And we haven’t even competed yet.”

All of the men being honored during this year’s 3rd ROTC Bde., Ranger Challenge, attended one of the schools in the brigade’s 10-state region prior to going on active duty, Shultis added.

One of those was Capt. Edward D. Iwan, of Albion, Neb., who was killed November 2004 in Fallujah Iraq while assigned to the 2^nd Battalion, 2^nd Infantry Regiment when a rocket-propelled grenade struck his Bradley Fighting Vehicle.

“It would have meant so much to him,” said Donna Iwan, regarding one of the challenges being named after her son. “Tradition was so important to him.”

Iwan left his family farm and enlisted as a mechanic in the U.S. Army in 1994, Donna said.

“He always said, ‘anywhere you are, you can work as a mechanic while you go to school,’” she said.

Iwan was practical like that, she added. It was a trait that would help him succeed in the ROTC at the University of Nebraska, the Nebraska Army National Guard, and as a 2^nd Lieutenant deployed in Iraq.

He lived and breathed military training and planned to make a career of the military, Donna said.

“He was really dedicated to his men,” Donna said. “He was more grown up then I realized.”

He was promoted to captain posthumously.

Annually, more than 300 universities nationwide have teams compete in a series of challenging events. Locally, cadets compete against teams within the 3rd ROTC Brigade region, which includes North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Missouri, and Michigan’s upper peninsula.

Twelve teams from the upper Midwest will test their physical stamina and technical skills in the three-day event starting March 16 at Camp Dodge, Iowa. Five of the teams won their Task Force Challenges, two are “wild cards” – the top two-second place winners, and five are all-female teams.

The competition includes the Army Physical Fitness Test, a 10-kilometer road march, basic rifle marksmanship, orienteering, weapons assembly and disassembly, a grenade assault course and constructing a one-rope bridge.

The name and spirit for the competition also honor the U.S. Army Ranger School at Fort Benning, Ga. Training for this event includes rigorous physical fitness workouts, information classes on various elements of light infantry tactics, and a weekend field training exercise where rifle marksmanship, rope-bridge, land navigation,10-kilometer road march and many more skills are tested.

The winning 9-person team will represent the 3rd Brigade in this year’s Sandhurst Competition, April 20-21, at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y. They will compete against other U.S. Army Cadet Command teams, select teams from West Point, the U.S. Military Academy Preparatory School team, and international teams.

An all female team from University of Wisconsin-Lacrosse stands at parade rest during the opening ceremony to the 3rd ROTC Brigade Gaspers-Cahill Ranger Challenge March 16 at Camp Dodge, Iowa. The team sang the National Anthem during the ceremony. Five all-female teams from various schools will compete against each other for the first time this year. The challenge was named for two of the brigade’s 11 alumni who died in combat. Both University of Nebraska graduates, 1st Lt. Kevin J. Gaspers and Capt. Joel E. Cahill, were killed in Iraq.

To keep up with your cadet team follow us on our social media links:

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