January 29, 2003
WHO: |
| More than 450 ROTC students from 22 universities in the Southeast, including Tennessee, Mississippi, Louisiana, Florida and Alabama. Each university is represented by a team of juniors. |
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WHAT: |
| The Fifth Invitational Orienteering Meet sponsored by the UAB Army ROTC (Reserved Officers Training Corps). |
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WHEN: |
| 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Saturday, February 1 |
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WHERE: |
| Oak Mountain State Park Lake, I-65 South to Highway 119 exit (exit 246). Follow signs to park; signs inside the park will lead to the event site. |
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BEST PHOTO OPS: |
| 9:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. |
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HOW: |
| Each university's team, armed only with maps and compasses, will race the clock to see who can follow directions to find 40 points, ranging from easy to difficult, in a designated maneuver area. The maneuver area is irregularly shaped and about 3.2 miles long by 1.6 miles wide. |
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AWARDS: |
| Ceremony at 2:30 p.m. - Participants compete for awards both in the individual and team categories, with the top team earning the coveted Commanders Cup. Speed, stamina and skill are the requirements for winning. |
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WHY: |
| The event prepares junior ROTC students for the annual mandatory ROTC camp at Ft. Louis Wash. About 3,500 ROTC students attend the camp each year. The terrain at Oak Mountain closely resembles the terrain at Ft. Louis, ranging from wetlands to rugged hills. Emphasis is placed on terrain association vs. dead reckoning, which closely replicates conditions ROTC cadets encounter during future operations. |
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CALL: |
| Major Malcolm Kelly Savage, UAB ROTC, (205) 934-7215, or Andrea Reiber, UAB Media Relations, (205) 934-8939. On the day of the event, call Savage at (205) 516-7257. |