RAIDERS

At about 90 feet off the ground with the bay doors open Cadet Joshua Brown yells, “30 seconds!” to his 5-man team over the UH-60 engine.  Everyone knows that is the cue to get ready.  Each team member checks his battle buddy and prepares to rapidly exit the helicopter once touch down is made.

Instinctively Brown's team creates a tight 360-degree security position around the aircraft and seconds after the UH-60 has left the LZ the men are ready to move out.   But before the team can successfully link up with the rest of their squad, a bombardment of artillery simulators goes off.  Cadet Jon Gutauskas yells, “incoming!” and everyone hits the ground.  Cadet Brown then yells out a distance and direction, which the men are to sprint towards in hopes for safety.  With an average combat load of 70 pounds, this sprint turns into a gut check.

Once the team has reached their destination hundreds of meters from where they started they will have to consolidated, get accountability of their men and weapons, identify their location, navigate and link up with their platoon, use terrain features to avoid enemy contact, and then……

START THEIR MISSION!

Raiders is more then a website blurb!  To know it you have to experience it.  But a quick gist includes a rich history tracing back to the 1960's and a reputation, which precedes us.  We have training labs every Tuesday, and at least one major FTX every semester in which we encounter such things as STX lanes, patrolling, MOUT, CS gas chambers, survival training, road marches, live fire ranges, and much more.

Whether as a preparatory course for Ranger School or National Advanced Leadership Coarse, Raiders has remained the core source of small unit training and tactics for cadets at the University of Florida.  Raiders pride themselves in being the best at what they do and so it is only natural that a brotherhood exists, which is unmatched in loyalty, fun, and trouble.  The tenacity and confidence that each Raider possesses was earned through teamwork, sweat, and effort put into serious training. 

If you are interested, contact C/CPT Catob at 941-704-2148

Cadre contact: CPT Kyle Everage

Watch the Raiders Video!

THE WEAK OF HEART NEED NOT APPLY!