Photo By Cpl. Matt Myers | Marines battle each other with pugil sticks Dec. 5 at Camp Hansen during the first...... read more read more
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CAMP HANSEN, Japan — “Three, two, one, fight!”
Two opposing teams of four Marines explosively crash into each other swinging their pugil sticks. A large crowd of onlookers yell encouraging words for their respective teams as some competitors are bashed into the ground. The match finishes quickly and the competitors compliment each other as they walk off the field, knowing that everyone gave their best effort.
Marines with the 3rd Marine Division competed in the first ever Caltrap Challenge Dec. 5 at Camp Hansen to foster competition within the division and test the Marines’ proficiency within the physical, military, mental and leadership realms.
The one-day competition consisted of multiple events including tactically-oriented exercise stations, a six-mile hike with military knowledge and practical-application stations disbursed along the route, and a single-elimination four-on-four pugil stick tournament between competing teams.
“The caltrap is a weapon first brought into warfare by Alexander the Great when he fought against the Persians,” said Maj. Gen. H. Stacy Clardy III, commanding general of the 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force. “It’s a four-sided jack that you throw on the ground in front of troops or vehicles to stop them. It’s a simple device that can be used many different ways, and it is brutal and effective. The Division adopted the caltrap as its logo in 1943. It’s something we tell our Marines, (the caltrap is) like we are: simple, effective, and brutal.”
The Caltrap Challenge brings Marines from all over the Asia-Pacific region together, allowing the division to grow closer and become a more proficient fighting force.
“The Caltrap Challenge brings elements from Hawaii, Okinawa, and additional areas if they are spread out in other places,” said Clardy, from Georgetown, South Carolina. “It’s a chance for officers, and enlisted Marines to spend time together. They share information, and they cross-pollinate their ideas on leadership. It’s nice to see because it shows that it doesn’t matter what you do as a Marine or which unit you’re from – they all just want to be challenged and feel that people care about them, and I think that’s what they get out here.”
The competition was fierce, and it was especially apparent that every team of Marines was operating at their full capacity during the hike.
“It was all about digging deep and finding some heart, so you could keep pushing through,” said Sgt. Sheldon B. Maholy, a squad leader with 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, and a Nixa, Missouri native. “During the hike we took a (notional) casualty, and we had to carry him on a litter for a very long time. It always seemed like there was another hill to climb, but we would just keep moving forward. Everybody did their part and pulled their weight, so we made it through.”
During the closing ceremony of the Caltrap Challenge, the Marines with the 2nd Bn., 3rd Marines, were declared the winners.
“This challenge really builds on all the versatile skills Marines need in combat,” said 1st Lt. Patrick J. Miller, a platoon commander with 2nd Bn., 3rd Marines, and a Dayton, Ohio native. “We all came together in the end and really found the meaning of brotherhood as we struggled to complete every task. I would say what we did here was significant, and it’s something the Marines who participated can take back to their units and learn from.”
| Date Taken: | 12.05.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 12.15.2014 00:06 |
| Story ID: | 150290 |
| Location: | CAMP HANSEN, OKINAWA, JP |
| Hometown: | DAYTON, OH, US |
| Hometown: | GEORGETOWN, SC, US |
| Hometown: | NIXA, MO, US |
| Web Views: | 241 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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