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    Comradery through competition

    Comradery through competition

    Photo By Staff Sgt. Youtoy Martin | Soldiers with the 82nd Engineer Battalion, 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st...... read more read more

    KUWAIT NAVAL BASE, KUWAIT

    01.30.2016

    Story by Sgt. David Beckstrom 

    U.S. Army Central   

    KUWAIT NAVAL BASE, Kuwait - Soldiers of 82nd Engineer Battalion, 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, also known as the Blue Babes, participated in their monthly Ox Pull Physical Fitness Competition on Kuwait Naval Base, Kuwait, Jan. 30.

    The Ox Pull is a tradition that dates back to 1943 when they were attached to Darby’s Rangers in Sicily, Italy, before assaulting the beaches of Normandy, France. The unit held a physical fitness competition at that time to determine which platoons and squads would be storming the beaches during D-Day.

    “Since its origin, we have held the Ox Pull competition on beaches and fields to test the endurance and innovation of our Soldiers,” said Lt. Col. Xander Bullock, the commander of Blue Babe Battalion. “The event is a proactive measure to build teamwork and esprit de corps. I want my Soldiers to think on their feet while they are in the event, because that will translate to their missions as well”

    The competition included a Humvee pull, tire roll relay, equipment drag and tug-of-war tournament. These events were geared toward functional strength rather than brute force.

    The Blue Babes call the event an Ox Pull because their unit’s mascot is Babe the Blue Ox from the Paul Bunyan Folktale, said Bullock a native of Snoqualmie, Washington. Because of this, they have incorporated pulling and carrying events in their competition; from pushing Humvees or boats to tire flips and equipment drags, they train to bear the burden of any mission that comes along.

    Each portion of the event had to be completed by different people within the team to ensure that each participant had a chance to compete. The teammates not actively participating in the challenge had to do variety of exercises, such as air squats or pushups, as they waited for their team to finish each portion.

    “It’s great getting the whole unit out here every month to compete against each other and seeing the cohesion of the teams as they work together to become the victors of the day,” said 1st Lt. Nick Olszewski, the Blue Babe Battalion S-4. “This is the ultimate feat of team strength, because it makes us think outside the box on how to accomplish the tasks.”

    The military uses physical readiness training as one of the ways to prepare and maintain the fitness level of service members. The Ox Pull is aimed at giving the participants the same workout in an environment of friendly competition.

    “Events such as these are nice breaks from doing PRT every day,” said Olszewski, a native of Syracuse, New York. “Getting involved in the event and not taking everything so seriously is a great way to relax.”

    A study conducted by the Army’s Installation Management Command in 2009 has found units that have a high morale and esprit de corps tend to have higher mission readiness and retention rates.

    “I really enjoyed the tug-of-war challenge,” said Spc. Shante Fuller, an S-1 clerk with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 82nd Engineer Battalion, and Columbia, South Carolina native. “These competitions build morale within the unit by making us count on our buddies while still having fun. It also gives us a way to relax, which is highly needed in a deployed environment.”

    The Blue Babes plan to continue this tradition for the foreseeable future and they us it to build pride in themselves and their unit, Bullock added.

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    NEWS INFO

    Date Taken: 01.30.2016
    Date Posted: 02.01.2016 07:39
    Story ID: 187534
    Location: KUWAIT NAVAL BASE, KW
    Hometown: COLUMBIA, SC, US
    Hometown: SNOQUALMIE, WA, US
    Hometown: SYRACUSE, NY, US

    Web Views: 184
    Downloads: 1

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