ROTC cadets wore 35-pound backpacks as they climbed the stadium steps
Tennessee Tech University’s Army ROTC Golden Eagle Battalion commemorated the 24th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks with the annual 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb, held earlier today at Tucker Stadium.
Army ROTC cadets wore 35-pound backpacks as they climbed the stadium steps continuously to reach the equivalent of 110 flights of stairs, a tribute to first responders’ sacrifices at the World Trade Center. Members of the community were also invited to participate.
“Tennessee Tech’s Army ROTC Golden Eagle Battalion is made up of young adults who are committed to the values of patriotism and service. The September 11 memorial stair climb is a priority for us each year, and we appreciate the community members who come out to join us,” said Lieutenant Colonel Benjamin Sweeney, professor of military science at Tech and lead organizer of this year’s stair climb. “The events of September 11 are why I first joined the U.S. Army and why I continue to serve today. As the years pass, it is all the more important that we pause and remind ourselves of both the lives lost on that day and the bravery and resolve of our fellow Americans in the moments, days and months that followed. It was our solemn honor to remember victims and first responders in this way.”
A fixture on Tech’s campus for more than 70 years, the Army ROTC Golden Eagle Battalion currently enrolls 86 Cadets.
Learn more at https://www.tntech.edu/armyrotc/.
Photo courtesy of Tennessee Tech.
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