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Eagle Brigade braves freezing weather for Cabin Fever 21
By Staff Sgt. Ryan Rayno, 181st Multifunctional Training Brigade
Soldiers of the 181st Multifunctional Training Brigade participated in a successful second annual Cabin Fever Week Feb. 16-19, 2021, on Fort McCoy, Wis.
Cabin Fever Week - held in the middle of February - is the brigade’s organization week that was created to break up the isolation and boredom that is prone to occur during the sub-freezing winters of Wisconsin.
"Staying active during these long winter days goes a long way in maintaining our physical and mental health, and with Cabin Fever Week, we're able to do that,” Col. Dave Woodruff, the commander of the 181st Multifunctional Training Brigade, said. “At the same time, it lets us participate in challenging team events that foster teamwork and comradery, as well as bring us closer together as a family.”
The goal of bringing the brigade closer as a family was something that resonated throughout the brigade’s battalions.
“Anytime you can get away from the office and get outdoors and enjoy Wisconsin and the weather it’s known for with the cold and the snow, it’s always great,” Sgt. 1st Class Travis Smith, the S3 noncommissioned officer in charge for 1st Brigade Support Battalion, 337th Infantry Regiment, said. “It’s also one of the times when you can get the entire brigade together, because after this, it’s focusing on exercise season where you really don’t get to see the other units, so it’s great to see your counterparts to your left and your right.”
While most Army units host their organization week during the summer months, the Eagle Brigade hosts its week in the winter for two important reasons.
"A lot of units out there do their brigade organization week in the summer but up here in Wisconsin at Fort McCoy, we do it in the winter because we are knee deep in exercise season all summer long, but it also allows us to take advantage of all the great winter sports out there like ice fishing, downhill skiing, cross-country skiing and snow shoeing," Woodruff said.
Though Cabin Fever Week’s primary goal is to keep the Eagle Brigade Soldiers active, it also allows them the opportunity to have a well-deserved break from work.
“Sitting out on the ice, enjoying nature while fishing...maybe you catch something, maybe you don’t. When you’re out fishing, life is good, because a bad day of fishing is better than a good day at work,” Walter Rakow, the deputy S3 for the 181st MFTB, said.
Even the non-relaxing events, such as cross-country skiing, snow shoeing and broomball, were a good change of pace from the office life.
“Broom ball is great and a little bit different because you’re in your shoes on the ice and it’s interesting how they always put that one first in our week, and this cross-country skiing was great, especially with the snow shoeing being snuck in there,” Capt. Michael Serbentas, a medical operations officer for 1st Brigade Support Battalion, 291st Infantry Regiment, said. “You burn yourself out snow shoeing for the first mile, then you throw on skis and it’s all a balance game after that.”
For Serbentas, Cabin Fever is the highlight of the year while in the Eagle Brigade.
“Cabin Fever is great,” Serbantas said. “I love it; this is my favorite week. I’m a competitive person so I wish I could do it two times a year instead of just the one time.”
Cabin Fever Week also had functional fitness and powerlifting events, a quadrathon event that consisted of a 1,000-meter swim, a two-mile run, a 5,000-meter row and a 12,000-meter bike, card games, darts, bowling, corn hole, downhill skiing and tubing, a 300-pound ahkio sled pull, chili cook off and dessert bake off, ice sculpture contest, and a trivia contest.
| Date Taken: | 02.22.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 02.22.2021 12:54 |
| Story ID: | 389528 |
| Location: | FORT MCCOY, WISCONSIN, US |
| Web Views: | 104 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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