Relieving stress and anxiety outdoors

Photo By Sgt. Han-byeol Kim | Soldiers from Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 210th Fires Brigade, participate in the Warrior Adventure Quest at X Game Resort June 7, in Inje, Gangwon Province. (U.S. Army photo by Cpl. Kim Han-byeol, 210 FiB PAO)  

26, SOUTH KOREA

07.18.2013

Story by Pfc. Han-byeol Kim 

2nd Infantry Division/ROK-U.S. Combined Division

INJE, South Korea – When needing to feel the rush, the Army has a high-adventure outdoor recreation program as a part of the Army’s approach to reset for units to explore Warrior Adventure Quest.

Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 210th Fires Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, hosted Warrior Adventure Quest for Soldiers June 7.

“I wanted some fun activities in a group like this,” said Sgt. John Rodriguez, from Hawaii, a multichannel transmission systems operator-maintainer, assigned to HHB, 210th Fires Bde. “These are things that I cannot do alone.”

Soldiers were able to participate in outdoor activities such as all-terrain vehicle riding, water rafting, bungee jumping and zip lining at X Game Resort in Inje, Gangwon province, South Korea.

Pvt. Mason Kilgour, from Sacramento, CA, a geospatial engineer assigned to HHB was excited to try new things. He and the other Soldiers had the opportunity to experience two events, one in the morning and another in the afternoon.

“I did ATV riding and river rafting before, and I wanted a new adventure,” said Kilgour. “That’s why I chose bungee jumping and zip lining.”

Many Soldiers were interested in bungee jumping, but for some, it wasn’t easy to jump from 63 meters, or 205 feet high. The instructor pushed some Soldiers, and others gave up. But Kilgour mustered up the courage to jump off of the tower.

“It was exhilarating. I was scared at first, but when I stepped off, it was adrenaline and it was a lot of fun,” Kilgour said.

“It was funny to see Soldiers scared of heights,” said Sgt. 1st Class Reynaldo Torres, from Dallas, Texas, 210th Fires Bde. network operations noncommissioned officer in charge. “They tried to encourage each other.”

Through extreme sports, soldiers were able to face challenges and conquer fears. At the same time, it was also a good chance for them to get rid of stress and anxiety.

After the morning event, the soldiers gathered and enjoyed chicken and sausage roasted on the grill for lunch.

Rodriguez was busy cooking lunch for soldiers.

“I had a lot to do. But soldiers liked my food,” said Rodriguez. “I was making sure that they had what they wanted.”

The Warrior Adventure Quest was not only a fun time for Soldiers, but it also brought the whole battery together.

“This event boosted my morale. It was really cool. I was able to talk with noncommissioned officers and officers comfortably,” said Kilgour. “I arrived to this unit two days ago, and this gave me the chance to get closer to other Soldiers.”

Kilgour enjoyed zip lining in the afternoon. He said the instructors were funny, and talking with other Soldiers made the experience even more enjoyable.

For senior noncommissioned officers who lead Soldiers daily, this was a chance for them to enjoy and hang out with their Soldiers on the same level.

“I enjoyed a lot,” said Torres. “It was a good opportunity to interact out of uniform with Soldiers.”

Warrior Adventure Quest allows units like 210th Fires Bde. to take care of Soldiers by giving them chances to build resiliency and get rid of anxiety and stress. Any unit can coordinate its own Warrior Adventure Quest by contacting the Community Activity Manager, Mr. Steven F. Toepper, either by phone [phone] or by email [e-mail].

• Date Taken: 07.18.2013
• Date Posted: 07.18.2013 00:47
• Story ID: 110358
• Location: 26, KR
• Hometown: DALLAS, TX, US
• Hometown: SACRAMENTO, CA, US