Fifth Year student Alex recently represented Great Britain at an international military skills competition in Hungary, competing against teams from across Europe and beyond.

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Despite facing strong international competition, Team GB finished 8th overall and were the 5th highest-placed invited nation. Countries invited to compete included Austria, Sweden, the Czech Republic, Finland, Poland, Romania, Serbia, the USA, Slovenia, Turkey, Italy, Hungary and Germany.

The demanding competition tested teamwork, endurance, navigation and problem-solving across seven challenging events.

One of the most memorable tasks involved a simulated battlefield casualty rescue. Competitors used paintball rifles while advancing through enemy fire from Hungarian soldiers before treating and evacuating a casualty by stretcher.

Other events included land navigation exercises involving drone flying, pacing, bearings, triangulation and map plotting, as well as a laser rifle relay combining endurance running with precision shooting.

Teams also tackled a gruelling 2–3km obstacle course featuring monkey bars, climbing walls and weighted runs, where speed and teamwork were critical.

A particularly demanding combined shooting event required competitors to row across a lake, carry ammunition tins, crawl beneath camouflage nets and complete a series of airsoft shooting challenges before sprinting to the finish line.

The competition also featured an orienteering maze challenge and a rifle relay, where each teammate completed a 1km run carrying a weighted 6kg rifle.

Reflecting on the experience, Alex described the event as both physically and mentally demanding, while also providing an incredible opportunity to compete alongside teams from around the world.

Congratulations to Alex on this outstanding international achievement.