Photo By Sgt. Mike MacLeod | U.S. Army Spc. Gannon Kessler, an artilleryman assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 2nd...... read more read more
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FORT BRAGG, N.C. – Wet, mud-covered paratroopers weaving in, out, over and under obstacles presents a sharp contrast to the more well-known ceremonies of All American Week.
For Spc. Dylan Arnall, however, the most challenging aspect of the week was the Team Assault course competition obstacle known as the “Weaver.”
The infantryman, with the 82nd Airborne Division’s 1st Brigade Combat Team, said the obstacle required him and his eight teammates to weave their bodies over and under horizontal ladders of logs positioned in both upward and downward slopes.
Teams like Arnall’s, from 2nd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, negotiated the “Weaver” and eight other obstacles standing between them and success, May 21.
Each obstacle came with its own set of instructions.
The competing teams were told how many team members could be on any given obstacle at one time and given minimum time requirements for completing each station.
Against the ticking of the watch, Paratroopers negotiated the “Tough One,” an obstacle requiring them to climb a rope, balance their bodies to walk across a horizontal beam and ascend a ladder reaching 50 feet in the air.
The “Six Vaults” required competitors to vault their bodies over a series of six suspended logs using their hands alone. During the “Belly Crawl,” they crawled through mud, making sure not to come into contact with the barbed wire, just inches overhead. While completing the “Swing, Stomp and Jump,” paratroopers had to jump to grasp a rope and swing on that rope until their feet made contact with the log on the other side.
“It was fast-paced and very muddy,” said Arnall. “I picked (the obstacle course) because it’s really the only Army-involved sport. It kind of pertains to my job.”
First Lt. Geoffrey A. Dean, an infantry officer with 2nd Battalion, 504th PIR, and the officer in charge of the Team Assault course, said the competition allowed units within the division to showcase their athleticism and ability to work together on teams.
“Teamwork is huge here. Every team has to wait until all members have completed the obstacle before they can move on to the next one,” Dean said. “Teams are allowed to show off the best ways of unconventional moving and negotiating things they may encounter on the battlefield.”
While a winner was not determined because of weather-related issues, Pfc. Eric Jogerst, an air traffic controller with the 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade, said he had fun during the event because the competition tied back to classic Army training.
“I’ve been through similar courses through my Army training, so mentally I was prepared for it,” Jogert said. “We all just had to dig deep and pull from our athletic abilities.”
Even though nobody won the competition, Jogerst and his team were able to label their mission a success.
“We were all very motivated, so we came together, had a plan and we made it through,” Jogerst concluded.
| Date Taken: | 05.22.2013 |
| Date Posted: | 05.23.2013 20:54 |
| Story ID: | 107509 |
| Location: | FORT BRAGG, NORTH CAROLINA, US |
| Web Views: | 244 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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