Schriever to host Team Cohesion Challenge

Photo By Brian S Hagberg | SCHRIEVER AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. -- The Air Force Team Cohesion Challenge, a collaborative event sponsored by Recharge for Resiliency, the Single Airman Initiative and GORUCK Light, will push participants through a combination of calisthenics, time hacks and other challenges. The event will challenge each individual’s physical and mental limits, as well as finding ways to work as a cohesive unit to complete each scenario. (Courtesy graphic)  

SCHRIEVER AIR FORCE BASE, COLORADO, UNITED STATES

03.06.2017

Story by Brian S Hagberg 

50th Space Wing

The TCC, a collaborative event sponsored by Recharge for Resiliency and the Single Airman Initiative, and GORUCK (a small, grassroots company selected specifically for its military relevance, small event footprint and focus on group and team dynamics), will push participants through a combination of calisthenics, time hacks and other challenges. The event will challenge each individual’s physical and mental limits, as well as finding ways to work as a cohesive unit to complete each scenario.
“Everyone has to work together to complete the rough time hacks,” said Staff Sgt. Jared Long, 50th Operations Support Squadron, who completed a similar event in downtown Colorado Springs. “If someone is slipping, and you are feeling pretty fresh, take a load off of their shoulders and give them some rest. It is 100 percent about balancing out your team’s energy reserves.”
GORUCK offers three variations of the Challenge; Light, which covers 7-10 miles, takes four to five hours and has an average completion rate of 100 percent; Tough, which covers 15-20 miles, takes 10-12 hours and has an average completion rate of 94 percent; and Heavy, which covers 40 or more miles, takes 24 hours and has an average completion rate of 50 percent. Schriever will host a Light Challenge.
While Long competed in the GORUCK Tough, he doesn’t think the Light version planned for Schriever will necessarily be easier.
“’Big’ John was our cadre for the evening (and) he stated that his goal for the night was to have us see our spirit animals,” Long said. “I vividly remember each handover. I was physically well off, but it was easily the hardest thing I have ever done in my life.
“The last leg of the event was the most grueling thing I have ever done,” he continued. “But so very rewarding. I don’t expect the Light event we will be participating in to be as hardcore . . . but GORUCK’s motto for the Light is, ‘Light doesn’t mean easy.’”
Roles and responsibilities will transfer among the participants during the event; however, all 50 will work together as a single team.
“At different points in the event, a team leader will be established and basically be the liaison to the cadre,” Long said.
The cadre will determine what hacks are included based on their assessment of the trail 24 hours prior to the event.
“The cadre determines the activities,” said Seth Cannello, Schriever Fitness Center director. “I expect they will do some type of sand crawl and water spray, but the activities vary.”
Approximately 15 of the 50 slots are still open, according to Cannello. Because the event is using R4R funds, returning deployed and single Airmen will get registration priority. Cannello said he would initially register all those interested, and start a wait list if he has more than 50 registrants.
“It’s a mix right now (of returning deployed/single Airmen and others),” he said. “I encourage anyone interested to sign up as soon as possible. There is lots of interest.”
Interested members will go to a website, provided by Cannello, to complete registration. Once complete, they need to send registration confirmation, and an emergency contact, to Cannello to complete the process.
The benefits of completing the event are well worth the effort, according to Long.
“The best thing about this event is that it is the unknown,” he said. “It’s going to be a fun event for sure. I hope some people get into some tough stuff so they can see that they are capable of overcoming it.”
For more information, or to register, contact Cannello at 567-6658.
All participants will need the following:
-Ruck/backpack
-Bricks, two if under 150 pounds, four if over. Each brick should weigh four to six pounds.
-Sandbag fillers, 10-pounds for under 150 pounds, 20 for over
-Hydration system
-Gloves
-Windbreaker (mandatory if temperatures are expected to be below 50 degrees)
-Anything else needed to stay warm and dry. Snacks, lip balm/moisturizer and sunblock are recommended.

• Date Taken: 03.06.2017
• Date Posted: 03.10.2017 15:29
• Story ID: 226498
• Location: SCHRIEVER AIR FORCE BASE, COLORADO, US