Photo By Christopher Freeman | Chief Warrant Officer 2 Jason Wright, helicopter pilot with 3rd General Support...... read more read more
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FORT BRAGG, N.C. – It’s early in the morning and the crisp air and breeze is one of the few things keeping these Troopers awake waiting for their initial brief. They are here to take the win in the “Talon Challenge.”
The 3rd General Support Aviation Battalion, 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division, conducted their first “Talon Challenge,” an event that tests the physical might and teamwork of Troopers across the GSAB as well as a group of local cadets.
“The [Fayetteville State University] [Reserve Officer Training Corps] Broncos and I were initially introduced during Entrepreneurship Day at the campus,” said 1st Lt. Tyler Tyburski, intelligence officer, 3rd GSAB, 82nd CAB. “Once I saw the cadets and how professional they looked, I had to invite them to the challenge.”
That first impression turned out to be the correct one, as Tyburski would soon learn.
“I was pleased that as soon as I asked, they enthusiastically agreed and immediately started taking steps to join us in the competition,” said Tyburski. “In almost no time flat, they had the info on the event, had volunteered support personnel, and that spoke volumes about their dedication.”
The cadets involved, especially those with no prior service, greatly benefited from the events.
“It was a real good experience for us cadets to interact with an Army unit,” said Cadet Tyrell Jackson, a cadet with the FSU ROTC Broncos. “The events were challenging and tough, but we got a lot of good training out of it.”
The “Talon Challenge” began long before the sunrise, and had the competitors a little off their game.
“One of the most challenging events was the very first one, the [Army Physical Fitness Test],” said Jackson. “The continuous APFT was very unorthodox due to there being no break in between events and the fact that we were in our uniform and boots.”
The intensity would only ramp up from there for the contenders.
“We made use of the lovely terrain that Fort Bragg offers to give the challenge its own flavorful touch with the eight-mile uphill ruck march through sand and mud,” said Tyburski. “It was conducted wearing tactical equipment and required the teams to stay close the entire time or risk a penalty being added to their final score.”
Other events included a two-mile buddy run, Humvee push, and pull-up competition. These varied events draw from something both Tyburski and the cadets are very familiar with: the Ranger Challenge Team.
“One of the things I loved about ROTC was the Ranger Challenge Team,” said Tyburski. “It’s a physical fitness team that each ROTC battalion puts together to compete against other battalions. Many of the cadets here today are part of their battalion’s Ranger Challenge Team.”
“This course was designed based on a Ranger Challenge Team event that I participated in,” continued Tyburski. “We modified the events for time, while maintaining the intensity.”
The events conducted simulated some of the physical rigors that being a Soldier can bring, but the cadets pushed through and emerged exhausted but enlightened about Army operations.
“As a learning experience, understand that when you do your planning, it’s a team effort,” said Jackson. “It’s not the best five noncommissioned officers carrying the company, it’s a whole unit working together to achieve a common goal.”
As a former cadet, Tyburski offered words of wisdom to the young cadets.
“This is an experience I wish I had before commissioning,” said Tyburski. “Without seeing how a unit operates or going through the gauntlet that normal Army life will push you through, you will never truly know Army life.”
This experience may be based on Soldier tasks and physical feats of strength, but the cadets like to utilize all of Fort Bragg’s facilities.
“One thing that our battalion likes to do is leverage the assets we have available to us at Fort Bragg,” said Jackson. “We come here and can go to the range, the [engagement skills trainer], and can embed in units and go to [field training exercises]. Fort Bragg has a lot of opportunities we can use to gain realistic training.”
The cadets left without the win, but not without setting the foundation for future challenges with the GSAB.
“We were happy when Charlie Company, 3rd GSAB won, but internally, we were saying that next time, that streamer is going to be ours,” said Jackson.
| Date Taken: | 11.12.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 11.16.2015 11:19 |
| Story ID: | 182028 |
| Location: | FORT BRAGG, NORTH CAROLINA, US |
| Web Views: | 354 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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