CAMP BUEHRING, Kuwait – It is the dead of night; a frigid breeze sweeps in from the south and 15 soldiers are grouped around a 5,200 lb., up-armored Humvee.
Despite the biting cold, sweat drips from every pore soaking their uniforms. Remarkably, motivation stays high, and the soldiers begin to sing as they struggle to push the Humvee up the next rise.
The three-mile Humvee pull is just one of many events constituting the 24-hour long 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Spur Ride.
Troopers battle stress and fatigue as they attempt to ‘earn their spurs’ during this event held Feb. 3, 2012.
The events included ruck marching with gas masks, a six-mile litter carry with rucksacks, first-aid, weapons and explosives training; culminating in a seven-mile ruck march to the finish line.
In total, troopers marched over 30 miles in the 24-hour period, not including the initial five-mile run kicking off the event.
Troopers of the Lancer Battalion were also tested on their knowledge of the history of Army Cavalry and to learn the song “Fiddler’s Green,” as part of the continuing heritage of the Cavalry that the Spur Ride represents.
The Order of the Spur is a time-honored Cavalry tradition within the United States Army. Soldiers serving with Cavalry units (referred to as Troopers) are inducted into the Order of the Spur after successfully completing a "Spur Ride," thus earning their silver spurs.
It is a tradition that goes back to the earliest days of the U.S. Army’s Cavalry when new cavalry troopers were assigned a horse with a shaved tail.
These soldiers were not allowed to wear spurs until they had proven they could sufficiently control their mount.
Soldiers of the 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment had to earn their spurs by completing all challenges over the 24-hour period.
The course, designed by Capt. Martin Peters, commander of the Lancers Headquarters and Headquarters Company, was based on the Special Forces Assessment and Selection Course the Army uses to select potential Special Forces recruits, making it one of the toughest Spur Rides in Ironhorse Brigade.
“I chose events specifically for them to present a challenge to the soldiers,” Peters said about his choice of events. “I chose events which had to be completed as a team as well in order to build group cohesion and trust between the soldiers.”
The Spur Ride was completed by 210 Lancer soldiers. These individuals earned the opportunity to run the course by passing prescreening gates.
Following the final six-mile road march, the 210 Lancer soldiers who completed the Spur Ride were formally inducted into the Order of the Spur, Feb. 4.
The difficulty of the event gave the new spur holders a sense of pride and accomplishment.
“I really feel like I earned my spurs,” says Staff Sgt. Benjamin Phillips, assigned to Company B of the Lancer Battalion. “For the rest of my career I can definitely wear them with pride.”