Courtesy Photo | Soldiers from the Guatemalan Special Operations Team run to the finish line during the...... read more read more
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By 1st Lt. Andy Kimbrough
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic -- The road march is a familiar term to anyone that has worn a military uniform. Its history can be traced to the ancient armies of Sparta, Babylon and beyond, but even on today’s modern battlefield the ability to move quickly across rugged terrain on foot is often the key to success in many armed engagements.
Just outside the Dominican Army’s 1st Infantry Brigade compound, on a dark, humid morning with the thermometer already approaching high temperatures, special operations teams complete their final equipment checks before embarking on a timed forced march that will take them through more than nine miles of the Dominican Republic countryside.
This event is part of FuerzasComando 2010, a U.S. Southern Command sponsored exercise being hosted this year by the Dominican Republic. The competition between military and police special forces operations teams combines 18 countries from the Western hemisphere in order to strengthen relationships, increase interoperability and improve regional security.
It is day five of the competition, and the road march is one of the events that will test each team’s endurance, strength and teamwork. It is clear as each group leaves the starting point, that camaraderie among these groups, whose many homelands may be separated by thousands of miles, has already formed throughout the weeklong exercise.
Separated by 10-minute intervals, each team stretches, weighs their rucksacks, checks their equipment and embarks into a dark road along side the Dominican countryside.
As the march begins, each six-member team lines up with their weapons and a 30 poundruck sack. In order to win the event, groups must cross the finish line with their rucks intact and do it in the fastest time.
As the gun sounds, the first team, the elite soldiers from Belize, disappear into the dark as sounds of cheers and shouts of encouragement from their competitors echo through the open farmlands.
Approximately one hour and forty-five minutes later the Belizean competitors reappear as they run to their objective: the finish line. As excitement builds for a strong finish, the group responds as the spectators erupt with applause. They close their formation and in unison they make a sprint for their goal. Soon after, other groups appear sweaty with mud-covered boots as they cross the finish line.
Even though this is a competition and national pride is on display, each team completes the course with fellow competitors running along side them with words of encouragement.
For many of the groups, this march proves to be one of the most challenging events during this year’s FuerzasComando. For the Panamanian team, it was all about completing the difficult march as a team.
“The march was very difficult, however teamwork is very important when you are faced with challenges like this,” said a member of the Panamanian special operations team. “Our strategy was to keep our slowest member up front and we finished in a good time, thank God.”
As dawn breaks to a now bright, sunny day the final team finishes. The Special Operations members, happy the event is now over, share a few moments of camaraderie as they discuss the grueling mornings events.
“For us it was a good course, but really difficult, the hills were hard to climb and we are very tired,” said a member of the Ecuadoran contingent.
Bonds beyond borders and mutual respect have been established as each team begins their journey back to their barracks to prepare for the next day’s activities.
| Date Taken: | 06.22.2010 |
| Date Posted: | 06.22.2010 13:37 |
| Story ID: | 51789 |
| Location: | SANTO DOMINGO, DO |
| Web Views: | 228 |
| Downloads: | 184 |
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