Photo By Chief Warrant Officer Bryan Nygaard | First Lt. Rune Dyhr, Danish Force Protection Platoon, Danish Battle Group, carries the...... read more read more
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CAMP LEATHERNECK, Afghanistan – During the early morning hours of July 26, more than 100 coalition service members aboard Camp Leatherneck, Helmand province, put on their body armor, shouldered their rucksacks and picked up their rifles. They assembled at the entrance of Camp Viking and waited for the command to move out.
The troops were not executing an operation against insurgent forces, nor were they conducting a security patrol in the area. Instead, they were competing in the Danish Contingent March, a 15-mile endurance contest led by Danish troops wherever they are deployed.
The DANCON march is a tradition within the Royal Danish Army that dates back to 1972, when Danish troops were deployed to Cyprus. The march is designed to be a social gathering and to test the physical readiness of the troops participating.
“The main purpose is competition,” said Chief Warrant Officer 2 Steen Nordli, who works with the Danish National Support Element and one of the event’s coordinators. “You can also see [service members] socialize and get to know each other in a unique way.”
Participants included U.S. soldiers and Marines, U.K. forces, Estonian Defense Forces and civilian contractors.
The participants were placed in one of three groups. The first group focused on the fastest course time while wearing a rucksack of 22 pounds. The second group wore a pack of 55 pounds, while the third group wore a full combat load. The time limit for the competition was 5 hours.
The march started at the adjacent Camp Bastion, went through Camp Leatherneck and ended at the starting line. As each participant trickled past the finish line, they were presented with the DANCON march medal and a certificate commemorating the completion of the event.
The first participant to complete the arduous 15-mile march was Estonian Master Sgt. Tarvo Tamme, who finished in just 2 hours and 6 minutes while wearing a rucksack of 22 pounds.
The first U.S. service member to finish the race was Petty Officer 3rd Class Lucien Vienot, a hospitalman with Joint Sustainment Academy Southwest. Lucien, a native of Cincinnati, finished in 3 hours and 45 minutes while wearing a full combat load.
“It was painful,” said Vienot. “I’m pretty sure my toenails are going to fall off.”
Vienot participated in the last DANCON March in May, but was unable to finish. During the competition, a Marine from his command went down with heat exhaustion and Vienot immediately began to administer care to him. Unfortunately, this caused Vienot to withdraw from the race.
After the incident, his co-workers jokingly accused Vienot of quitting the march. Needless to say, this gave the corpsman, formerly assigned to 2nd Reconnaissance Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, extra motivation as he ran with more than 50 pounds of gear on his body.
“They told me ‘if you don’t win, don’t bother coming back’,” said Vienot, who also finished second overall in the third group of participants.
Proceeds from the DANCON march go directly to the Y.M.C.A. and to the Veteran’s Home, which benefits veterans of the Danish military.
| Date Taken: | 07.28.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 07.28.2011 04:18 |
| Story ID: | 74439 |
| Location: | CAMP LEATHERNECK, AF |
| Web Views: | 758 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Viking quest: Service members endure Danish march in Helmand, by CWO2 Bryan Nygaard, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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