Each year the Fighting Saints Battalion hones its skills and demonstrates their excellence in a series of trainings and competitions. The preparation for these events requires many hours of sacrifice, all culminating in competition among their regional and national peers.
Traveling from Camp Ripley to West Point to the deserts of White Sands Missile Range to Kansas University, the Fighting Saints Battalions tradition of excellence won out. Representing Saint John’s University, the College of Saint Benedict and St. Cloud State University, these Cadets have continuously finished at the top of their field.
Support for Success
To enable these Cadets to have the opportunity to participate in these valuable competitions, we are seeking support to fund expenses not covered by the Army. Your tax-deductible contribution will be used to cover travel expenses, hotel stays, meals while at competitions, and various entry fees.
Contributions from ROTC alums will be an invaluable investment in this generation of Cadets. Please consider making-a-donation by clicking the link below and adding “ROTC” to the additional comments section of the donor page.
Listing of Competitions and Programs
Field Training Exercise: These typically occur once a semester and are conducted over a weekend at Camp Ripley. Cadets experience leading in both squad and platoon level elements, in addition to conducting events such as basic rifle marksmanship, a confidence course, field leadership reaction courses, rappelling, and land navigation.
Ranger Challenge: This event is conducted during the fall semester, starting with a task force (local) competition. The winners of this event get to compete in a Brigade level event, typically another one on the road. The winners of the Brigade compete in the Sandhurst event at West Point in the Spring. Competitors will complete Army tasks along with physical endurance events in teams of five or nine personnel.
Bataan Memorial Marathon: Annually, this event is conducted at White Sands Missile Range. The March is a grueling 26.2-mile marathon across the desert. Cadets compete in teams for this event; team members have to finish the race within 20 seconds of each other. This event is typically held in the Spring semester.
Kansas University Ranger Buddy Challenge: This event is referred to as the KU Buddy Challenge because it is conducted at Kansas University. The challenge event consists of two-person teams, and is designed to test military tasks, skills and physical fitness. The Fighting Saints Battalion sends co-ed, all male, and all female teams.
Military Ball: Each spring the cadets, and their significant others, celebrate the completion of their year with a formal military event, a Military Ball. The Ball introduces an important military tradition. The FSB Military Ball is also an opportunity for the Battalion to recognize the hard work of MSIVs (seniors) and bid them farewell.
MacArthur Award: The MacArthur Award recognizes the ideals of “duty, honor and country,” and it is based on the achievement of the school's commissioning mission, its cadets' performance, standing on the command's National Order of Merit List, and its Cadet retention rate.
Army 10-Miler: The Army Ten Miler is the second largest 10-mile race in the United States, attracting over 35,000 runners. These runners include active military personnel, veterans, civilians, cadets, wounded warriors, and others.
Northern Warrior Challenge: NWC: This competition has only been around for the past four years and has been deemed the hardest competition in all of ROTC. In the dead of Winter, programs from all over the Midwest send teams to La Crosse, WI. During a 16-mile ruck through the bluffs, teams are tested on various cold weather skills such as treating a wounded casualty, starting a fire with wool, engaging targets with various weapon systems, and more. FSB teams have earned two 1st place finishes and one 2nd place finish.