Photo By Staff Sgt. ShaTyra Reed-Cox | U.S. Army Soldiers assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 501st Airborne Infantry Regiment,...... read more read more
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FORT BRAGG, N.C. – The chilled morning air was full of sweat and grit. The thick rubber soles of combat boots treading through mud and clay could steadily be heard along the dirt trails.
Soldiers from across Fort Bragg participated in the Combat Cross Country ruck march Jan. 26 at Smith Lake Recreation Area in Fayetteville, North Carolina to test their resiliency and Soldier readiness.
The annual ruck march is designed and prepared by the Fort Bragg Morale Welfare and Recreation.
“The CCC is a good morale booster, giving Soldiers a chance to compete, uplift one another, and it is something that Soldiers enjoy doing," said Harold Stallworth, intramural sports director at MWR.
Participants carried a rucksack weighing a minimum of 35 pounds, full combat uniform, headgear, and a water source.
Nearly 50 Soldiers marched out onto the 11-mile course, which was rife with rugged terrain and steep sand hills. The top 10 finishers earned eligibility to compete at the Bataan Memorial Death March, on Mar. 17 at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico.
“Every year it’s so much fun,” said Spc. Shalanee Stanley, a second-place winner in the team division, who is assigned to the 82nd Brigade Support Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division. “As a team, we get to challenge ourselves and test our ability.”
Top individual times were under two hours, to include that of Capt. Garnett Lias, who finished in fifth place in the individual competition. He finished with a time of one hour, 46 minutes, and 58 seconds, qualifying him to compete in the Bataan Death March.
“Placing in the top five means I was among the best of the best,” said Lias, who is commander of Bravo Company, 112th Signal Bn. “Being able to represent Fort Bragg in New Mexico and possibly adding to the installation’s history is a reward in itself.”
Every participant received a commemorative hooded sweatshirt signifying their completion of the event, and commemorative trophies and plaques were awarded to the first five individual finishers, and the top two finishing teams.
| Date Taken: | 02.07.2019 |
| Date Posted: | 03.01.2019 14:54 |
| Story ID: | 309917 |
| Location: | FORT BRAGG, FAYETTEVILLE , NC, US |
| Web Views: | 374 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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