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    The Black Knight Challenge

    BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan – At 3 a.m., darkness is only broken up by lights coming from the air field and street lights around the base. Soldiers slowly started to trickle in and gather under a streetlight as they waited to attack the challenge ahead of them.

    The 110th TC hosted The Black Knight Challenge here Sept. 17.

    The challenge was a physical endurance competition encompassing seven events. Teams competing consisted of four: Soldiers assigned to the 110th TC, 498th Transportation Company and 297th Inland Cargo Transfer Company, and were required to have at least one female Soldier per team.

    Once all teams were accounted for, their rucks were checked to ensure they met the required weight of 35 pounds.

    Weighed in and accounted for, the competitors received a safety brief and run through of the events from Sgt. 1st Class Carlos Johnson, an Augusta, Georgia native, first sergeant of the 110th TC.

    Johnson synchronized efforts with the company section noncommissioned officers in charge, and worked together to identify and coordinate the seven events for the challenge.
    He said it was a way to break up the monotony of the Soldiers’ day-to-day life and let them get out of the mission mindset, even if it was just temporary.

    The first portion of the challenge was an eight-mile ruck march around the air field.

    As they waited to step off, competitors were double checking their rucks, stretching and hyping teammates up for their first event. Some Soldiers had speakers inside their rucks and were seen preparing iPod playlists for ongoing motivation throughout the ruck march.

    When 4 a.m. showed on the timers watch, “GO!” was shouted and the teams were off. Some took off running while others put their heads down and set a faster than walking pace.

    Sgt. Charles Riggs, a Fletcher, Oklahoma native, truck commander assigned to the 110th TC, played bagpipes at the finish line.
    The first competitors crossed the finish line just after the sun had made its way over the mountains surrounding the base. All four members of the team had to make it across the finish line for their time to stop.

    The challenge was nonstop with the next event starting once the teams completed the previous one.

    Following the exhausting 8-mile ruck march was a timed 5-gallon water jug relay.

    Each member of the team carried two water jugs 100 meters down a road to an awaiting teammate who then lugged the jugs back the start point.

    Sgt. Crenniance Harrell, a Bronx, New York native, motor transport operator assigned to 110th TC, said the ruck march was the most challenging part of The Black Knight Challenge because his team set a pretty fast pace.

    “The easiest part of the whole thing was the water carry because after dropping the ruck, it was like the weight was finally off my shoulders,” Harrell said lightheartedly.

    Once the last team member dropped the water jugs down at the end of the relay, the team was directed to the next event: a four-mile relay run.

    With sweat dripping from their faces, the teams made their way to the 4-mile relay start point, where most discussed their next plan of attack.

    The relay track was a one-mile loop littered with service members conducting morning physical training.

    Runners sprinted from the starting line as teams cheered each other on as well as the other competitors.

    With the slap of the hand, the next runner took off for their leg of the race.

    Some of the competitors jokingly said they were so full of adrenaline from the first two events, they ran faster than they normally would have while wearing running shoes.

    As the final member of the teams finished their leg of the relay, times were called out and teams moved on to the next event.

    The litter carry was the next event. Two teammates ran three water jugs strapped to a litter 100 meters to their awaiting teammates who then returned the litter to the start point. It was timed to see what team would finish with the fastest time.

    Walking to the next event gave the competitors time to catch their breath.

    Flipping a tire may not sound like a big deal, but when it weighs more than 75 pounds, it may be a bit more physically challenging.

    Two teammates worked together to flip the tire 75 meters down a dust, dirt and rock covered field to their awaiting teammates who then completed the challenge in the opposite direction. With each flip of the tire came a cloud of baby powder like dust that filled the air making it next to impossible to see where they were going, but everyone pushed through and never gave up. The tire flip was also a timed event.

    The final two events seemed to have pushed each team to their limits.

    They had to perform as many pushups as possible within a 4-minute window. The catch was that only one person could do them at a time. Like a relay, teammates tagged out when they were fatigued and needed a break, that’s when the next teammate would pick up where the last left off.

    The same rules applied for the situps, which was the final event of the challenge.

    Teams were awarded 1-12 points for each event. The team with the fastest time or highest number of pushups and situps received one point and the teams with the slowest time and lowest number of pushups and situps received 12 points.

    “The team with the lowest score at the end of the day wins,” said Johnson.

    First place went to Justice Force, a team made up of 1st Lt. Thomas Nelson, Sgt. Amed Perez, Sgt. Brittney Alleyne and Pfc. Joseph Comella, all assigned to the 110th TC. Each Soldier received an Army Achievement Medal and a 110th TC coin. Second place winners received certificates of achievement.

    By the time the last team completed the final event, Soldiers from the different units were talking and laughing with each other, just as the Black Knight Challenge was intended for.

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    NEWS INFO

    Date Taken: 09.25.2014
    Date Posted: 09.25.2014 07:57
    Story ID: 143219
    Location: BAGRAM AIR FIELD, AF
    Hometown: AUGUSTA, GA, US
    Hometown: BRONX, NY, US
    Hometown: FLETCHER, OK, US

    Web Views: 688
    Downloads: 0

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