Photo By Staff Sgt. Richard Sherba | A spur candidate pauses to regroup during a spur ride held at Forward Operating Base...... read more read more
By Army Sgt. Richard D. Sherba
11th Public Affairs Detachment
PAKTYA PROVINCE, Afghanistan – First Cavalry Division is steeped in rich history and traditions, perhaps none more motivational and rewarding to a Cavalry trooper as the spur ride.
Soldiers at Forward Operating Base Lightning got the opportunity to experience this tradition as Operations Company, Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division conducted a spur ride March 18.
Forty-eight soldiers representing five different units volunteered for the opportunity to earn their silver spurs in a physically-demanding and mentally-challenging spur ride that focused on various combat-related tasks.
Spur candidates had to complete eight events as a member of a four-person team. The events included preparing a Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle for a mission; reacting to an improvised explosive device attack; a 9-line medical evacuation report; stress shoot; equipment carry; buddy carry; tire pull and the water can carry.
The list reads simple enough, but when put into action it becomes a day that spur candidates will never forget, pushing their physical and mental limits.
“One of the bravest things I have ever seen one of my soldiers do in combat was during a six to seven hour-long-fire fight; we got a call over the [radio], [dismounts] running black on ammo and water,” said Capt. Mitchell Payne, the commander for Ops. Company, HHBn., 1CD.
“My soldier grabbed a rucksack, filled it with water and ammo, and ran across an open field, dodging enemy fire and reaching the dismounted soldiers,” said Payne, a native of Lacey, Wash.
The field was over 100 meters long, and the Soldier performed the combat resupply four times. Events like the equipment carry, buddy carry, and water-can carry all relate to that, explained Payne.
“The spur ride was tiring but through the whole process our company commander kept reminding us that what we’re doing here today happens on the battlefield,” said Pfc. Justin Fulton, Ops. Company, HHBn., 1CD, a native of Kingstree, S.C.
“I had a good team; we had heart. When we got tired we pushed each other. We sang cadences, kept each other’s spirits up. I am proud of my company, and I have accomplished what many people haven’t,” added Fulton.
An individual couldn’t muscle their way through it alone, teamwork was the only way spur candidates were going to get through the spur ride, said Ops. Company, HHBn., 1CD, 1st Sgt. James Funk, a native of Logan, Ohio.
“I’ve seen them learn and develop how to work as a team, coming up with ideas to accomplish these events. These are all volunteers; I’m proud of them. A lot of them could have quit but they didn’t,” said Funk. “They showed a lot of heart.”
Events like reacting to an IED, calling up a 9-line medevac report and the stress shoot tested the candidates’ tactical and technical knowledge.
The react to an IED event consisted of a four-man patrol that encounters a simulated IED explosion requiring them to remove the casualties from the impact area, as well as finding and identifying an unexploded ordinance and calling up a correct UXO report.
The 9-line medevac event consisted of the evaluation and treatment of a casualty and the calling up a correct 9-line medevac request.
The stress-shoot event involved the disassembly, assembly, functions check, and firing of the 240B machine gun, 9 mm pistol, and the M4 automatic rifle, all within under five minutes time.
“We put them on the clock, got them nervous and saw how they responded,” said Staff Sgt. Nicky Green, Ops. Company, HHBn., 1CD, a native of Houston, Texas, who supervised the weapons portion of the stress-shoot event.
The second part of the stress-shoot event involved a 100-meter sprint in full battle rattle that culminated in buddy team movements while engaging targets with an automatic rifle.
“We want to see communication. Shoot, move and communicate,” said Sgt. Shawndale Gholston, Ops. Company, HHBn., 1CD, who supervised the stress shoot.
“It means a lot to me to be able to see these soldiers do this and to be able to coach them through it,” said Gholston, a native of Gainesville, Fla. “The teamwork was great today, everyone took off in a full sprint, motivating one another, moving and communicating.”
As spur candidates completed the spur ride, they reflected on the day’s events while catching their breath, hydrating and resting.
“The spur ride was cav-tastic!” said Spc. Zandria Moses, Ops. Company, HHBn., 1CD, a native of Franklin, La. “I am proud, I got the gold spurs for being deployed, and now I have my silver spurs too. Next month will be my second year anniversary in the military, so I feel like it’s a big accomplishment for me.”
“It was pretty intense and very physically demanding, a lot harder than I thought it was going to be,” said Spc. Jennifer Higgins, Ops. Company, HHBn., 1CD.
“The teamwork was amazing, where one person was weak, others covered down,” said Higgins, a native of Boston, Mass. “It’s an honor to be a part of such a tradition, not many people have spurs, especially the silver spurs.”
“Today was actually far more difficult than I anticipated, but it was a great getaway from the usual monotony of a deployment,” said Spc. Rodney Merritt, Ops. Company, HHBn., 1CD, a native of Genoa, Ohio. “I enjoyed the camaraderie and the physical activity, it was a great change of pace.”
“I have been with 1st Cav [Division] for three years now and it means a lot to me to finally get my silver spurs. There is a lot of tradition behind it. The one thing I really like about the military is the tradition,” said Merritt. “Silver is more special, with everything we did today, I feel like I earned them.”
| Date Taken: | 03.18.2012 |
| Date Posted: | 03.23.2012 03:33 |
| Story ID: | 85669 |
| Location: | PAKTYA PROVINCE, AF |
| Hometown: | BALDWIN, LA, US |
| Hometown: | GAINESVILLE, FL, US |
| Hometown: | HOUSTON, TX, US |
| Hometown: | KINGSTREE, SC, US |
| Hometown: | LACEY, WA, US |
| Hometown: | LOGAN, OH, US |
| Web Views: | 382 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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