Photo By Michael Strasser | Dozens of Soldiers participated in the Fort Drum Army Substance Abuse Program’s...... read more read more
FORT DRUM, N.Y. (Feb. 10, 2025) -- For an event called the Alpine Warrior Challenge, you’d expect some snow and freezing temperatures.
North Country weather delivered on both counts, as dozens of Soldiers participated in the annual snowshoe trek, Feb. 4-7, at Fort Drum.
The event combined a short informational session with subject-matter experts followed by the physical challenge on the Remington Park trails.
“For the educational piece, we teamed up with Holistic Health and Fitness (H2F) because they are very engaged with Soldiers at the unit level,” said Bill Van Orman, Suicide Prevention Program coordinator with the Fort Drum Army Substance Abuse Program (ASAP). “H2F professionals are embedded in the brigades and have built these relationships in a way that is different than other resources Soldiers have on post.”
Travis Cudlin, a performance dietitian with the 10th Mountain Division Sustainment Brigade H2F Program, spoke about hydration and the performance-enhancing benefits of caffeine – when taken in optimal dosage and cognizant of possible side effects.
He also discussed performance supplements, and the testing that has been conducted at Fort Drum by a team of H2F dietitians, nutrition educators, and U.S. Army Medical Department dietitians last year.
Because the Food and Drug Administration’s oversight of supplements mainly begins after they are on store shelves, Cudlin recommended that Soldiers seek out third-party tested or certified products that have the USP, BSCG, or NSF label.
“Looking for a third-party testing label is going to be best practice,” he said. “The 2nd Brigade Combat Team also H2F offers a Supplement Class by request, and all H2F teams provide a number of classes as requested by platoon and company leadership, including supplements for performance and safety.”
Capt. Christian Gryszowka, an occupational therapist with the 10th Mountain Division Sustainment Brigade H2F Program, delivered a motivational message echoing a theme in Matthew McConaughey’s “Greenlights.” The bestselling self-help book covers topics ranging from embracing failure, forgiving oneself, risk-taking and taking time to celebrate victories.
“When you encounter a green light on the road, everything is good and there’s nothing that impedes the journey,” Gryszowka said. “But along the way, there may be yellow lights where you take a moment to decide whether you keep moving forward, or you slow down and stop.”
If green lights are indications to stay the course, the yellow light is a metaphor that when a crisis arises, stepping on the gas is a way to avoid introspection or refusing to accept the situation (the inevitable red light).
Gryszowka said when people experience hardships, and their light is no longer green, they don’t have to travel alone.
“The red light is our time to pause and reflect,” he said. “And whoever’s in the passenger seats – our family, our friends, our co-workers, command team or whoever – we can work through that hardship together. You don’t have to do it alone.”
Gryszowka also reminded participants that if they need help – whether it’s a cognitive performance specialist, dietitian or athletic trainer in the H2F program, or a chaplain, a behavioral health specialist or medical care provider – do not hesitate.
“Everyone needs support from time to time,” he said. “And we want everyone to know that support is available. Don’t let those red lights stay red.”
Snowshoeing isn’t the typical method of providing suicide prevention training to Soldiers, but Van Orman would argue its merits.
“So, this isn’t a race,” he said. “This is more of a ‘Let’s do this together’ physical challenge where Soldiers are able to simply walk side-by-side and hopefully have some good conversations.”
Van Orman said communication is key to suicide prevention, and it is something he teaches in the TRUST (Teamwork, Respect, Unit Strength Training) course for team and squad leaders. The coursework is designed to improve their interpersonal communication skills, which Van Orman said is important for junior leaders to have when talking with their Soldiers.
“Sometimes hard conversations are best when they are side-by-side,” he said. “It helps takes away some of the discomfort when discussing difficult topics.”
During last year’s challenge, Van Orman was approached by a Soldier during the trek who was struggling with some personal issues and sought his guidance.
“It was a difficult conversation, but the Soldier was able to open up and ask me about the resources we have that could help,” he said.
On the final day, the group started the snowshoe trek on the Black River trail near the 10th Mountain Division and Fort Museum, and it concluded with a tour inside.
In all, participants logged 19.43 miles for the challenge. Van Orman said there is meaning to the number.
“We used to create suicide prevention activities that incorporated the number 22 to reflect the suicide rate of veterans per day,” he said. “But we’ve gotten away from using that because the suicide rate has gone down. This year, I went with 19.43 because 1943 is the year the 10th Mountain Division was activated.”
Compared to previous iterations of the Alpine Warrior Challenge, Van Orman said they were fortunate this time with having adequate snow on the ground.
“We’ve had to adapt every year,” he said. “Last year, we only had the cold temperatures, so we turned it into a ruck march.”
While snowshoeing is a great winter activity that Soldiers should take full advantage of while living in the North Country, Van Orman said the event is designed with more in mind.
“It’s about challenging ourselves, and learning, and building bonds,” he said. “I think when we accept a physical challenge like this, and we have a chance to do it in a group environment, it naturally builds bonds and camaraderie. Making connections is one of the top protective factors against suicide right now.
“Suicide prevention ties directly into Soldier readiness and building a resilient and lethal fighting force,” Van Orman added. “So, we will continue to find these opportunities for Soldiers at Fort Drum to connect.”
Cudlin joined Van Orman last year when ASAP and H2F teamed up for the annual “Get a Grip” competition inside Nash Training and Testing Facility.
“Bill Van Orman has yet to disappoint with any event he’s put on, and I think that suicide prevention is a message and program we can all rally behind,” he said. “I was a member of the New York Army National Guard for almost 10 years, and we’ve had our own struggles in the force I can relate to.”
The Fort Drum Army Substance Abuse Program is located inside the Soldier and Family Readiness Center, Bldg. 10250 on 4th Armored Division Drive. For more information about Fort Drum ASAP, visit https://home.army.mil/drum/my-fort/all-services/army-substance-abuse-program, follow www.facebook.com/FortDrumASAP, or download the My Army Post app to stay current on all installation events and activities.
| Date Taken: | 02.10.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 02.10.2025 09:19 |
| Story ID: | 490424 |
| Location: | FORT DRUM, NEW YORK, US |
| Web Views: | 26 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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