Cold Forged Elite Mountaineers

Photo By Staff Sgt. Michael Wood | A Special Operations service member pulls himself out of freezing water during the Winter Mountain Operator Course (WMOC) in Gunnison, Colorado, March 7, 2024. The WMOC was designed to enhance Special Operations service members’ skills and prepare them for the unique challenges of operating in harsh winter mountain conditions. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Michael Wood)  

GUNNISON, CO, UNITED STATES

03.13.2024

Story by Sgt. Isaih Vega and Staff Sgt. Michael Wood

10th Special Forces Group (Airborne)

GUNNISON, Colo. – Green Berets assigned to 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) participated in the Winter Mountain Operator Course (WMOC) at the Special Operations Warfare Mountain Training Center (SOWMTC), March 2-9, 2024. The seven weeklong course is taught by a conglomerate of Operators from across all Special Forces Groups.
“A lot of warfare is conducted along borders – mountains create a lot of borders,” said the Deputy Detachment Commander for the SOWMTC. “Knowing the austere environments that exist without technical competency, you’re going to be more of a liability and the risk isn’t worth the reward.”
Each year, service members from all military branches train to enhance their ability to survive, maneuver, and accomplish objectives in a mountainous winter environment. The training location is at an elevation exceeding nine thousand feet, temperatures plummet to minus 22 degrees, and the constant threat of avalanches looms.
A few of the training exercises that took place during the course included improvised snow shelter construction, avalanche rescue procedures and learning how to get out of freezing water.
“Falling into a frozen body of water, you have to understand that it is possible to create a scenario where you’re going to be fine,” said the Deputy Detachment Commander. “You can survive – having experienced something like that gives you a baseline for confidence and an idea of how to improve the situation.”
The Deputy Detachment Commander goes on to explain that these exercises were focused on students applying a tactical mindset during problem-solving under pressure.
While in training, the students and cadre learned that nearby, a civilian was caught in an avalanche and rescued by a civilian group of mountaineers.
“The avalanche occurring near the SOMWTC is a grim testament to why this training matters,” said a cadre instructor for the SOWMTC. “This unforgiving and unstable terrain – the altitude and freezing cold – test the limits of survival.”
In previous years, WMOC had a high attrition rate. For this reason, the cadre and leadership at the SOMWTC developed and implemented the two-week Alpha Mobility Skills Course (AMSC). AMSC is a non-prerequisite option designed to bolster student success with training in winter movement techniques like skiing and snowshoeing.
“We recognized that AMSC was very beneficial,” said the Deputy Detachment Commander. “We typically lose students to the ski exam because they come here from different places with little to no experience. AMSC shored up that shortcoming and has given students competency to pass the ski test.”
The Deputy Detachment Commander explains that the WMOC enhances proficient mountaineering skills. These skills are necessary because 24 percent of the Earth is covered in mountains, and 10 percent of the world's population lives in the mountains.
“SOMWTC is premier,” said the Deputy Detachment Commander. “We are comprised of the best mountaineers in SOCOM, and we continue to educate ourselves through civilian education and continued education.”
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• Date Taken: 03.13.2024
• Date Posted: 03.19.2024 16:37
• Story ID: 466116
• Location: GUNNISON, CO, US