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South ��ֱ���� State University’s Army ROTC program recently received new physical fitness equipment thanks to a group of dedicated alumni honoring two of the program’s earliest Ranger School graduates. 

Several SDSU alumni came together to fund the donation. They include: Phil (’72) and Patricia Howard, Bernie (’73) and Linda (’73) Ellis, Lou (’73) and Patty Chamales, Kent (’72) and Kathleen Cartner, and Lyle Petik. 

Their gift honors the legacy of SDSU ROTC alumni Kent Cartner and Gary Petik, Lyle’s father, who passed away in 2024. 

Kent Cartner and Gary Petik were the first SDSU ROTC cadets who completed Ranger School while still enrolled as students. This is no longer common practice due to the extensive challenges of training. 

According to the U.S. Army website, Ranger School is considered one of the most difficult training experiences in the Army. Cadets are tested on their physical and mental toughness, challenged in mobility training in mountain topography and combat arms training in challenging coastal swamp environments. 

“Gary and I were honored to be selected to attend the first Ranger class with an Army experimental program open to ROTC cadets,” Cartner said. “We arrived at Fort Benning in June 1971 and joined 246 other ROTC cadets from all over the United States. After nine weeks of extremely difficult training, 138 of us survived and were awarded the Ranger Tab.” 

Cartner continued, “Ranger school was probably the most physically and mentally challenging thing I have ever done in my life but also one of the most rewarding. Gary and I vowed that there was no way we were going to let SDSU and the ROTC department down by dropping out.” 

Petik was also awarded Distinguished Military Graduate, an honor given to the top 20% of ROTC cadets nationwide. 

To remember Petik’s and Cartner’s contributions to the ROTC program, and to honor the extensive physical fitness one must have to complete Army Ranger School, the families came together to give something tangible that supported that mission. 

“I told Phil Howard that I was extremely honored and humbled by this but felt that the focus should be on the memory of Gary. … Since Phil outranked me, he persuaded me to accept the honor,” Cartner teased. 

After assessing the needs of ROTC, it was decided that updated training equipment would add to the recently renovated training facility. 

This isn’t the first time SDSU ROTC has benefited from alumni generosity. SDSU’s Army ROTC program received a significant gift from the Howard family in 2021 with the remodel of Depuy Hall’s lower level. Transformed from a shooting range into a comprehensive fitness training center, the facility provides the ROTC cadets a high-quality area to train in and conduct drills and other related practices. 

With the addition of the most recent donations of treadmills, rowers and cable machines, cadets are fully equipped with the tools needed to stay in top physical condition, something essential to success in military life. 

“Physical fitness is a cornerstone of military readiness and leadership, and access to high-quality training equipment enables our cadets to build the strength, endurance and resilience required of them as future officers,” said Lt. Col. John Peary, professor of military science and head of the Army ROTC program at SDSU. “Ultimately, this generous donation is an investment in the readiness and capability of tomorrow’s Army. It equips our cadets not just with physical fitness equipment, but with the confidence and preparation they need to lead from the front.” 

Peary said Army ROTC’s robust alumni base continues to have a profound impact on the program. 

“We take pride in the legacy of leadership our alumni represent and are honored to have their continued involvement and support for our mission,” Peary continued. “Their commitment serves as a powerful example to our cadets, reminding them of the strength of our ROTC family and the responsibility they carry forward.” 

Thanks to the generosity of SDSU alumni, the next generation of military leaders will be better prepared to rise to the challenge.