CLAIRE C. LAURENCE/Arizona Daily Wildcat Business management junior Jeff Chenard and higher education administration graduate student Eric Boenitz assist criminal justice junior Sean Underhill off of the rope bridge during an early morning ROTC drill.

ROTC cadets prepare for upcoming 'Ranger Challenge' in Calif.

In the cold morning air, a group of 15 elite ROTC cadets trudged sleepily up the steps of the UA's South Hall.

It was 5:30 a.m.

The students, clad in lightweight uniforms, waited two weeks ago for their team captain to lead stretches as they prepared to take the Army physical fitness test. The cadets worked in virtual silence, broken only by the captain's occasional command to switch stretches.

The group then sprinted to the UA Mall where they completed two minutes of sit-ups and push-ups that must be executed in perfect form.

If they needed a rest, there was an Army-approved position in which they were allowed to do so.

But these cadets rarely paused to reposition themselves on the cold, damp Mall grass, nor did they stop to walk during the timed two-mile sprint.

These cadets are the best of the best, the elite, and they have been waking up before dawn every weekday for two months to prepare for the Army ROTC Ranger Challenge.

The group's hard work, dedication and endurance will be put to the test this weekend as the team travels to Fort Hunter-Liggett Air Force Base near Monterey, Calif. to accomplish a single goal.

CLAIRE C. LAURENCE/Arizona Daily Wildcat Business management junior Jeff Chenard traverses across a rope bridge during ROTC drills in an effort to improve his team's overall time in the event.

Their mission, they say: to kick butt.Of the 15 ROTC cadets led by Sgt. Mark Trees, who will fly to California for the annual competition this weekend, 10 will compete against ROTC groups from approximately 20 schools in the western region including UCLA, ASU and BYU.

The two-day Ranger Challenge includes six different competitions, that will assess each cadet's individual physical and mental strength as well as the cadets' ability to work as a team.

The group will compete against hundreds of other cadets in events such as M-16 marksmanship, land navigation, a one-rope bridge and an obstacle course, said Trees, a science education junior.

The cadets will also take an Army physical fitness test.

The final event is one that many of the cadets say is grueling: a 10k rucksack foot march during which competitors run nearly six and a half miles laden with gear and a pack that can weigh nearly 40 pounds.

But being pushed to their physical and mental limits is nothing new to the UA team.

While training for events like the rucksack march, the cadets said that they used packs that weighed as much as 60 pounds.

To prepare for the rope bridge competition, cadets strung a rope over an obstacle and pulled themselves across. The harnesses worn are anything but fancy.

The cadets fashion their own harnesses from individual pieces of rope.

Challenge team captain Sean Randall, an international affairs senior, said that the 10 competitors and five alternates were chosen from a group of 30 candidates who tried out for the team.

Of the 30 contenders who all wanted to be a part of the Ranger Challenge, those who were not in peak physical or mental condition either dropped out of the program or were cut from the team, Randall said.

"We meet every day so someone who shows up every day is good in my book," he said. "Also, we're looking for physically fit, capable people."

Nathaniel Blackwell, the only freshman member of Ranger Challenge, said that he hopes to improve his physical fitness test scores and get a scholarship.

Blackwell, a political science major who was told this week that he would be competing after another cadet was injured, said his main goal in competition is to support the other UA cadets.

"I'm nervous about letting the team down," he said.

CLAIRE C. LAURENCE/Arizona Daily Wildcat History senior Ryan Calhoon dismounts from the rope bridge with help from senior Blake Tilker, majoring in English, and higher education administration graduate student Eric Boenitz.

Cadet Angelika Klien, a creative writing senior and one of only two female challenge team members, said that while it is difficult to manage school, a job, and the Ranger Challenge, most of the cadets have little trouble prioritizing.

"It's crazy but somehow you find the time, and you do it," Klien said. "There's not much else to do at 5:30 in the morning."

For those who decide to sleep in, Klien said there is a special punishment.

"We have this big, blue painted cinder block. It has a little cape on it and we call it Mr. Bigglesworth, and if you miss a day you have to carry that in the next day's workout," she said. "That's motivation right there."

She added that the UA team has a great group dynamic that has earned them a reputation as the team that has the most fun competing.

Klien said that many of the other challenge teams practically scream at their team members if a problem arises during competition, but the UA team is encouraging and supportive.

Those involved with the Ranger Challenge program said that this year's group is especially hardworking.

Major C. Stewart Slatton II, an enrollment advisor for ROTC, said the members of the team exemplify the values of hard work and dedication on which ROTC is founded.

"Physically, there's no doubt that they're the cream of the crop," he said.

ROTC programs on college campuses date back to the early 1900s when civilian educators and military personnel worked together to prepare officers for active duty.

Now there are ROTC programs on 270 college campuses nationwide.

Slatton said that the primary goal of ROTC instructors is to encourage cadets to earn their degree while staying in top physical condition and learning leadership skills that will help them succeed not only in battle but also in life.

"The Ranger Challenge team is about brotherhood - a tight knit camaraderie which achieves success through teamwork," said Jonathan Cecilio, ROTC cadet recruitment operations officer and former member of a Ranger Challenge team.

"Last year's Ranger Challenge team really did well," he said. "I believe this year's team will be even better."