The National Raider Competition, a prestigious three-day event, took place at Fort Knox, Kentucky, bringing together over 272 teams from across the United States, including Hawaii, Philadelphia, and Puerto Rico. After months of preparation, 14 students from Edinburg High School flew to Fort Knox, Kentucky to compete in 42-degree weather and navigate challenging terrain with winding roads and steep hills. The event tested the teams' endurance, teamwork, and resilience.
The Edinburg Bobcats excelled, placing in the top 23% overall and outperforming the only two teams from the RGV: the McAllen Bulldogs and Weslaco Panthers. The competition featured a grueling 5k team run, rope bridge, cross-country rescue, the gauntlet, and the physical fitness team test, all set in rough, hilly terrain. Despite the intense physical and mental challenges, our performance demonstrated exceptional preparation and determination.
The 5k team run consisted of running over steep hills, rough and uneven terrain in 40 degree Fahrenheit weather . The rope bridge consisted of 10 teammates making their own harnesses and crossing a freezing river over a short amount of time. The cross-country rescue consisted of 6 team members running with 35 pound rucksacks and 4 team members carrying a 100 pound patient litter over an 8ft wall following a waist deep mud pit, one mile run, jumping over wood hurdles and finally a tire swing. The gauntlet featured a 12ft wall, following an 8ft wall, tire jump, low crawl in mud under barbed wire, and finally an incline wall. The physical fitness team test consisted of push-ups, curl-ups and lastly a one mile run.
The team had a chance to prepare and eat MREs for lunch the day of competition. Many of the team members would describe the meal as “Not bad, but I wouldn’t eat it again.” The MRE’s consisted of an entrée such as pasta, chili, and beef. The MREs also had other components such as gum, crackers, peanut butter, instant coffee, and sometimes a mini Tabasco sauce bottle.
Apart from competition, the team was able to talk with associates from college ROTC’s to see what they had to offer. From New York to Georgia to Arkansas and even Hawaii. The team was able to see tanks, the military band, and paratroopers!
The 2024 Raider Challenge Team Consisted of the following members:
Diego Luna
Adrian Lopez
William Garcia
Yamilet Salazar
Angelica Estrada
Fidel Cedillo
Ricardo Reyes
Brisa Lopez
Ciara Flores
Andrew Maldonado
Michael Noria
Pablo Hernandez
Bryan Huerta
Elizabeth Garza
SFC Micaela Reyes
CW4 (R), AV Salvador Chavez