Meet the Army Community Day and Tactical Athlete Challenge scheduled for April 17
Posted Thursday, April 02, 2026
Adrian College will host the annual Meet the Army Community Day and Tactical Athlete Challenge on Friday, April 17, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. outside the Merillat Sport and Fitness Center on campus.
All events are free and open to the public.
Visitors can explore a High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, Mine Resistant All-Terrain Vehicle, chemical detection robot, wrecker, laser shooting range and more. Depending on availability and weather, a Black Hawk or Chinook helicopter may make a special appearance about 8:30 a.m.
Adrian College created Meet the Army Community Day in 2023 to highlight Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) and National Guard scholarship opportunities available to Adrian College students.
The event also highlights the Army’s commitment to performance optimization through its Holistic Health and Fitness (H2F) system, which focuses on maximizing soldiers’ physical and mental performance.
Event organizer Tina Claiborne, director of Graduate Athletic Training and the Institute for Sports Medicine at Adrian College, said the partnership between Adrian’s ROTC program and the Michigan Army National Guard has been “fantastic.”
“Our affiliation has created scholarship opportunities for students and led to new academic programs in military science and tactical strength and conditioning,” Claiborne said.
Other event highlights include:
- Meet-and-greet with soldiers — Guests can take photos with military personnel and speak with ROTC and National Guard members to learn about scholarship opportunities.
- Virtual shooting range and tactical gear try-on — Visitors can experience an indoor, virtual smokeless range and try on bulletproof vests and helmets.
- Army Combat Fitness Test and Tactical Athlete Competition — Teams of four will compete in the Army Combat Fitness Test. Competitors will be evaluated on six challenges: a maximum deadlift, standing power throw, hand-release pushup, sprint-drag-carry, plank and 2-mile run.
All competitors are welcome. Past participants have included students and staff from Adrian and Madison high schools, and Adrian College.
“We are thrilled to welcome the community back for another fun and interactive experience,” Claiborne said.
The event’s community partners include American Legion posts William C. Stark Post 97 and G. Chandler Bond Post 275, as well as Game One, Red Paint Printing, Walmart, McAlister’s Deli and Old National Bank.
For more information or to compete, contact Claiborne at tclaiborne@adrian.edu.
