Fort Carson leaders tackle Mabry Mile obstacle course

Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Robert Duran | Bob Babcock, president of the 4th Infantry Division Association, meets with Maj. Gen. David Hodne, commanding general of the 4th Inf. Div. and Fort Carson, and Command Sgt. Maj. Adam Nash, senior enlisted advisor of the 4th Inf. Div. and Fort Carson, at the starting line of the Mabry Mile obstacle course, May 24th, 2022. The Mabry Mile was an extensive obstacle course during Ivy Week in which senior leaders across the installation competed against each other to inspire their own troops and prove they would always be fit enough to lead their Soldiers and close the final yards in battle. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Robert Duran)  

FORT CARSON, CO, UNITED STATES

05.25.2022

Story by Sgt. 1st Class Robert Duran 

4th Infantry Division Public Affairs Office

FORT CARSON, Colo. – Early on May 24, leaders from across the 4th Infantry Division gathered to kick off Day two of Ivy Week 2022. Today’s first event was the “Mabry Mile,” named in honor of Maj. Gen. George L. Mabry, a battalion commander with the Ivy Division who landed on the shores of Normandy during the D-Day invasion.
This year’s unseasonably late snows, and a healthy downpour of rain, turned the mile-long obstacle course into a grueling gut check, akin to the conditions seen at Normandy.
The Division Commander and Command Sergeant Major kicked off the event, leading the Brigade and Battalion Command teams through thick mud and over the various obstacles placed along the route.
“The CG and I believe in leading by example, so of course we were the first team to run the course,” said Command Sgt. Maj. Adam Nash. “If you take our combined age, we’re like 95 years old. So none of these other teams have any excuses why the old men beat them.”
With an overall time of 17 minutes and 38 seconds, Capt. Brandon Back and Command Sgt. Maj. Shane Towns, of 4th Brigade Sustainment Battalion, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, decisively dominated the course earning first place.
“We knew from the walk through that the course was going to be tough,” said Towns. “But once you get out there and you’re slogging through that thick mud, that’s when you have to dig deep.”
The unit cohesion, sheer will to complete the circuit and esprit-de-corps shown by each team paid honor to the memory of Gen. Mabry.
While leading his battalion during the battle in the Hurtgen Forrest, Germany, Mabry distinguished himself by personally finding a safe route through a minefield, then leading a group of scouts to successfully capture three enemy bunkers and establish superior defensive fighting positions.
For his actions that day, Mabry was awarded the Medal of Honor.
Ivy Division soldiers continue his legacy of courage, loyalty, and duty to this very day.

• Date Taken: 05.25.2022
• Date Posted: 05.26.2022 10:20
• Story ID: 421584
• Location: FORT CARSON, CO, US