Photo By Sgt. Aura Conejos | Children of Soldiers assigned to 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored...... read more read more
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FORT BLISS, Texas - Family and fitness are words that resound within the Army community. They encapsulate what it means to be a ready Soldier. Families and fitness overlap to provide Soldiers with the capability to succeed in any mission they are given. An organizational day encourages support and active participation in all aspects of Soldier readiness.
The 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, Iron Brigade had a different vision of what an organizational day should include.
“Implementing a more holistic approach to fitness encompasses family, organization and the environment for Soldiers operating within the brigade,” explained 2/1 Command Sgt. Maj. Daniel Hendrex. “This approach is integral for families to understand so they may provide the best support to their Soldier, in turn making them more productive at work.”
Beginning with a simple discussion in early April 2015 blossomed the concept of a one-of-a-kind, two-day challenge for the Soldiers of the Strike Hard team. They will never look at an organizational day the same after this event.
More than 5,000 Soldiers, family members and friends participated in the Iron Brigade’s inaugural Strike Challenge at Strike Field on Fort Bliss, Texas, on June 10-11.
“We talked about the idea of putting on an event that would accomplish something that was physically challenging, that would bring a holistic approach to fitness and show families the mental, physical and social aspects of fitness,” said Sgt. 1st Class Charles Meecham, the master resiliency trainer for 2/1 and master planner of the event.
The event began with 24 teams participating in a Midnight Run, a 12-hour endurance event starting the evening of June 10 and ending the morning of June 11. The runners logged in a combined 2,298 miles, taking breaks to sleep in the grass, watch a movie on the projection screen with their kids, or fuel themselves as needed. Runners and their supporters displayed true esprit de corps throughout the evening.
A mass enlistment and re-enlistment ceremony was held on Strike Field after the completion of the Midnight Run. The ceremony included new recruits from within the El Paso community and Soldiers within 2/1.
The Strike Hard or Go Home Obstacle Course ran heats of teams until 11 a.m. with new participants signing up throughout the morning. This course held 70 teams and required them to navigate a grueling 4-mile course consisting of 15 obstacles to include a mud pit, tire hill, ice bath, hay bale mountain and mental challenges to complete as a cohesive unit.
Children were given the option of participating in the Little Strike Obstacle Course, a squirt gun maze, exploring static displays, dunking their parent in the dunk tank, a bounce house, munching on frozen yogurt or snow cones, or even running the races with their parents.
“Instilling healthy habits at an early age is important because it carries over into their adult years,” said Meecham. “It pays dividends down the road; being active sparks cognitive ability and better movement patterns.”
“It was about involving the kids more,” said Meecham’s wife, Ivy, a participant in the all-female team and an integral role in the planning and execution of Strike Challenge alongside her husband. “They had their own events, so it was truly a fun, unique family day instead of the kids only having limited activities.”
Spouses, children, and family members of 2/1 Soldiers were able to see the level of importance fitness plays in their work life, which transcends into higher levels of performance. When children are given the ability to have a fun day while witnessing their parents participate in challenging, active events, they are more apt to want to join in and experience more.
“I feel like spouses and children witnessing how important fitness is to Soldiers and parents excites them to want to be involved as well,” said Ivy.
She noted that she experienced children asking to run as a family and were thrilled to have their own activities, giving them a challenge like their parents.
The two-day event ended with an award ceremony for the top three finishing teams of the obstacle course and a speech from Col. Charles Masaracchia, commanding officer, 2/1, to the Soldiers and families of the brigade. Soldiers were then released to enjoy a long weekend with their families.
Iron Brigade’s command group and Meecham are already researching and brainstorming innovative ideas for the next Strike Challenge, which should follow Network Integration Evaluation 16.1 in late 2015.
| Date Taken: | 06.11.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 09.16.2015 17:06 |
| Story ID: | 176266 |
| Location: | FORT BLISS, TX, US |
| Web Views: | 96 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Iron Brigade’s inaugural Strike Challenge, a one-of-a-kind event, by SGT Aura Conejos, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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