1. Bataan Memorial Death March Marathon
WHO: Cowboy Battalion
WHAT: Bataan Memorial Death March
WHEN: 20MAR16
WHERE: White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico
SUMMARY: On 20MAR16, 16 Cadets from the Cowboy Battalion competed in the 27th Annual Bataan Memorial Death March Marathon. New Mexico State University ROTC has hosted this marathon since 1989 in remembrance of the WWII tragedies that began in April of 1942.  On April 9th, 1942,  thousands of American and Filipino Soldiers surrendered to the Japanese on the island of Luzon,  Corregidor,  and the harbor defense forts of the Philippines.  These Soldiers became POW’s and were forced to march for days on end,  facing the constant threats of starvation, disease, and murder without reason by their captors.  At the end of the march the survivors were packed onto ships so tightly there was only room to stand.  The Bataan Memorial Death March Marathon is held to honor all the Soldiers who did not survive, the Soldiers who survived but have since passed, and the survivors who are still with us today. The event has grown from its 100 participants in 1989 to over 6600 participants today.
          The day prior to the race, UW Cadets were given the opportunity to listen to, and even meet with, a few of the Bataan survivors.  It was a great experience to hear the stories told in these first person perspectives.  This pre-race experience really set the tone and helped the Cadets to understand the true purpose of the marathon.
          The Cowboy Battalion sent six Cadets who participated in the ROTC male heavy category, as well as five that participated in the ROTC male light category, and five that participated in the ROTC female light category.  Those in the heavy category were required to compete with a rucksack weighing a minimum of 35 lbs. and in full ACU uniform.  The Cowboy Battalion’s Bataan Team trained for nearly three months, five days a week, including Saturdays.  They completed upwards of 40 miles per week,  along with core and upper body workouts to maintain their total body conditioning.  This hard work did payoff; however, allowing the team to do very well despite the grueling terrain, uneven dirt trails, a four-mile long ascent, and a one-mile “sand pit”. Cadets were greeted by the survivors following the race and given another opportunity to meet with them.
Cadet Jackson Deterding scored 3rd place in the ROTC male heavy group out of 156 individuals with a time of 5:27:53.  Cadets Thomas Bruton, Justin Perry, Clark Kelly, Nick Wilson, and Parker Bryant also participated in the ROTC male heavy group and placed 6th, 10th, 33rd, 42nd, and 47th, respectively.  The five female Cadets who participated in the ROTC female light group also represented the Cowboy BN well.  Cadet Anne Lichtfuss placed 2nd of 17 with a time of 4:54:32, followed by Cadets Mariah Crowe in 7th, Jessica Ernst in 8th, Samantha Dee in 12th, and Stephanie Montgomery in 13th.  Cadet Dillon Clift led the male light individuals placing 1st in the ROTC male light group of 29 individuals with a time of 03:44:22.  He was followed by fellow Cadets Charles VanPatten, Lance Pruitt, and Andrew Carollo, who placed 9th,17th, and 25th, respectively. All in all this was a once-in-a-lifetime experience that was highly appreciated by the Cadets who received the opportunity to go.