FORT DRUM, N.Y. (Sept. 18, 2026) -- Soldiers from across the 10th Mountain Division (LI) put their strength, stamina, and camaraderie to the test Sept. 18 during the annual Get a Grip competition in support of Suicide Prevention Month.
Hosted by the Fort Drum Suicide Prevention Program and the 10th Mountain Division Sustainment Brigade’s Holistic Health and Fitness (H2F) team, the event served to reinforce the Army’s observance theme: “We Are Stronger Together – Connect to Protect.”
“This is a chance for Soldiers to engage with each other as competitors, but also to cheer each other on,” said Bill Van Orman, Suicide Prevention Program coordinator. “The motto is ‘Connect to Protect.’ Well, we connect more in person, when we can have conversations together and we’re not tied to the phones in our hands. This is an event where a device is not useful at all.”
Van Orman said that partnering with H2F brings in the expertise of physical therapists, strength and conditioning coaches and other subject-matter experts to run the multi-stage grip and endurance challenges.
“In terms of research, grip strength is highly correlated with your overall lifespan,” said Major Gaylord, H2F strength and conditioning coach. “As we get older, grip strength and balance are probably two of the most important things we rely on. But when we’re talking about Soldiers, they have to be able to carry heavy ammo cans and water jugs, and things like that. That’s why grip training is so incredibly important.”
Grip strength factors into the deadlift event in the Army Fitness Test, and grip endurance is tested in the kettlebell portion of the sprint-drag-carry event. Gaylord said that Soldiers can work with H2F coaches to improve their AFT test scores and more.
“We get a lot of Soldiers who come through here to go to Air Assault School,” he said. “One of the biggest things in that training is being able to pull yourself up, and the basis for doing pullups is being able to grip the bar. As a coach, that’s how I pretty much start a lot of people off with as we progress to a pullup – can you dead hang from a bar for certain amount of time, what is your grip strength relative to your body weight?"
The Get a Grip competition has been a part of Fort Drum’s Suicide Prevention Month for the past five years. While it may be somewhat unorthodox to pair a strength competition with a suicide prevention strategy, Van Orman said it works.
“We just want to see people communicating with one another and build those relationships,” he said. “Interpersonal and spiritual connections are key protective factors when it comes to suicide prevention. They can be the source of resilience, support, and early intervention when someone begins to isolate. Even if they can’t fix every situation for you, being able to just vent to somebody is very helpful.”
Pfc. Marcus Gaston participated in the Get a Grip competition primarily to test his strength against other division Soldiers.
“I wanted to see if I was the strongest one on this base,” he said. “I could have done better.”
Despite falling short of his expectations, Gaston met one of Van Orman’s objectives.
“We were having conversations on the sidelines, and it was nice talking with them,” he said. “Even when we weren’t talking to each other, we were congratulating each other, bringing each other up.”
Gaston said Soldiers in his unit have discussed suicide prevention, and he feels confident that he could intervene if he thought someone needed his help.
“You just have to be there for someone,” he said. “They’re obviously struggling at something for them to have those thoughts, so I would try to help them in some way – talk with them, go to the gym with them, or whatever hobbies they like – get them through whatever they’re dealing with.”
This was the second year that Sgt. Sheila Smith, with Division Support Maintenance Company, 10th Mountain Sustainment Troop Battalion, 10th Mountain Division Sustainment Brigade, competed in the Get a Grip event.
“I definitely did better,” she said. “I’m glad that there was another person competing with me and made me push further than I did last time.”
While the pool of female competitors was small, Smith said it was a good experience meeting new people.
“Every day when you go to the motor pool, or when you work out, you see the same people,” she said. “But with this event, you get to meet people who are not in your company and who I probably never would have met if we weren’t doing this.”
Van Orman said the idea of building connections was also the impetus of a disc golf event earlier in the month, where participants were encouraged to use conversation cards to spark discussions at each station.
“They were all very simple prompts, like ‘What can somebody say that makes your day better?,’ just to generate conversation,” he said. “There’s little things you can do to build those relationships now, and establish that baseline with one another, so you are better able to recognize when something’s wrong later on.”
Next week, Van Orman is asking Soldiers and community members to join him and representatives from the Family Advocacy Program and Ready and Resilient (R2) on an 8.5-mile battle buddy ruck at Remington Park. Participants are asked to bring a 35-pound rucksack to the “No One Climbs Alone” event, starting at 6:30 a.m. Sept. 24.
Community members can scan the QR code on the event flyer to register or visit [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1hW7S4gxh5nBemSggBGAnqba9MG8HKnNm3LoI6lf0Ezc/viewform?edit_requested=true](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1hW7S4gxh5nBemSggBGAnqba9MG8HKnNm3LoI6lf0Ezc/viewform?edit_requested=true).
Van Orman said part of the reason he organizes physical challenges to promote Suicide Prevention Month is his own competitive nature. An avid triathlete and a 22-year Army veteran, Van Orman said that events that can supplement Soldier physical fitness training typically garner greater unit leadership support.
“We like doing hard things together, as opposed to going at it alone,” he said. “And it’s another way we build relationships. You can do something fun together, but when you do something hard – I mean, I’ve built some of the best relationships with that. You build better bonds and walk away with stories you tell for years.”
Unit leaders can request suicide prevention training by calling 315-772-9018 or visiting the Suicide Prevention Program office in Soldier and Family Readiness Center, Bldg. 10250 on 4th Armored Division Drive.
Fort Drum community members can also find suicide prevention resources online under Mountain CARES at [https://home.army.mil/drum/my-fort/all-services/CARES](https://home.army.mil/drum/my-fort/all-services/CARES).
The Military Crisis Line offers free and confidential 24/7 support by calling 1-800-273-8255, or text 838255.
| Date Taken: |
09.18.2026 |
| Date Posted: |
09.18.2026 14:46 |
| Story ID: |
575131 |
| Location: |
FORT DRUM, NEW YORK, US |
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