{"id":27056,"date":"2019-03-26T05:00:18","date_gmt":"2019-03-26T10:00:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.discoverclarksville.com\/articles\/?p=27056"},"modified":"2019-03-25T23:36:11","modified_gmt":"2019-03-26T04:36:11","slug":"seven-green-to-gold-soldiers-make-up-austin-peay-state-universitys-ranger-challenge-team","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.discoverclarksville.com\/articles\/2019\/03\/26\/seven-green-to-gold-soldiers-make-up-austin-peay-state-universitys-ranger-challenge-team\/","title":{"rendered":"Seven \u2018Green to Gold\u2019 soldiers make up Austin Peay State University\u2019s Ranger Challenge team"},"content":{"rendered":"

Austin Peay State University (APSU)<\/h2>\n

\"AustinClarksville, TN<\/strong> – The U.S. Military Academy at West Point recently featured Austin Peay\u2019s ROTC Ranger Challenge team on its website ahead of the prestigious Sandhurst 2019, the world\u2019s premier academy-level military skills competition.<\/p>\n

In doing so, West Point officials noted Austin Peay\u2019s team includes seven active-duty soldiers participating in the Army\u2019s Green to Gold program.<\/p>\n

\"Kylie<\/a>

Kylie Head, center, is one of seven ROTC cadets on Austin Peay State University’s Ranger Challenge who is in the Green to Gold program. (APSU)<\/p><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

The Green to Gold Active Duty Option program is a two-year program that provides eligible, active-duty enlisted soldiers an opportunity to complete a baccalaureate degree or a two-year graduate degree and earn a commission as an Army officer, according to Army\u2019s recruitment website.<\/p>\n

In other words, these soldiers are active-duty troops attending Austin Peay\u2019s ROTC program. Most already have served several years in the Army, and some of APSU\u2019s cadets have more than 10 years in the Army.<\/p>\n

As the Army\u2019s recruitment booklet puts it, the Green to Gold program \u201cprovides leadership training to highly qualified and motivated regular Army active-duty enlisted soldiers.\u201d<\/p>\n

The seven Green to Gold members of Austin Peay\u2019s team are: Steven Price, team captain; Daniel Cole, assistant team captain; Brandon Hagens; Brendan Dickinson; Kylie Head; Walter Higbee; and Christina Taylor.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wanted to make more of a difference leading soldiers as an officer in the military,\u201d Cole, who has been a noncommissioned officer in the Army for several years, said. \u201cI think I will benefit the Army and the future soldiers going into the Army.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dickinson will attain his master\u2019s in history through the program.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m kind of getting a little stability for my family,\u201d Dickinson, who has been married about a year and recently welcomed his baby daughter to the world, said.<\/p>\n

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