Photo By Sgt. 1st Class David Edge | U.S. Army Lt. Col. Gregg Haley, commander, 3rd Squadron, 89th Cavalry Regiment, 4tth...... read more read more
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FORT POLK, La. – According to historians the Mongolian Empire was one of the largest and most powerful empires the world has ever known. This empire stretched from the Pacific coast of Asia to central Europe, and the Mongol hordes were led by their elite “Mangudai” or light cavalry.
The Mangudai were warriors forged in rigorous tests with little food or sleep, and extreme conditions, all to prove they were the best Soldiers in the Mongolian Empire.
Today the term Mangudai is used by the U.S. Army as a name for a multi-day test of Soldiers endurance and warrior skills.
The 3rd Squadron, 89th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division conducted a Mangudai challenge Aug. 19 – 21, 2014. The event started with more than 20 junior officers but only 15 would complete the challenge.
U.S. Army Lt. Col. Gregg Haley, squadron commander, used the Mangudai to evaluate the junior officers of his ranks.
“The three things I wanted to get out of this Mangudai was testing their physical and mental fitness, their tactical and technical proficiency, and I wanted to test their will. I also wanted to assess my junior leaders as a whole and I wanted them to assess themselves against their peers,” said Haley.
On the second day of the Mangudai, with little food and almost no rest, the junior leaders would endure a stress shoot, testing their ability to think fast and respond even faster with their weapon.
“The stress shoot was just exhausting, we had to do physical fitness in between sets. It was about 24 hours into the Mangudai, we hadn’t eating much, and we’d just finished the obstacle course, and then rucked. I didn’t expect that, I just thought it was going to be a regular range,” said 2nd Lt. Tyler Mills, assistant plans officer, 3rd Sqdn., 89th Cav. Reg. 4th BCT, 10th Mtn. Div. “It was absolutely exhausting, it was hard to concentrate because you knew that after every set we were going to get smoked again.”
While all agreed that the Mangudai exhausted the body and mind some, however, would choose to do it again.
“The Mangudai was a real self-revealing 48 hours. I learned a lot about myself and how a person can go just a little farther once you have reached that point of utter exhaustion,” said 2nd Lt. Matthew McCartney, chemical officer, 3rd Sqdn., 89th Cav. Reg. 4th BCT, 10th Mtn. Div. I would do it again if I ever get the chance to have Soldiers down the line. The Mangudai is truly an event that shows your metal as a Soldier and as a team mate.”
| Date Taken: | 08.21.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 08.27.2014 14:29 |
| Story ID: | 140531 |
| Location: | FORT POLK, LA, US |
| Web Views: | 83 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, 'Slugger' Squadron put to the test; Mangudai style, by SFC David Edge, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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