Iron Bear-No Fear challenge keeps hospital Soldiers tactically, technically proficient

Courtesy Photo | Four Soldiers of Team Extreme carry the fifth member of their team on a stretcher during the half-mile, patient, litter move event of the Iron Bear-No Fear challenge held by the 21st Combat Support Hospital. The challenge was designed by command Sgt. Maj. Gerald Ecker, the senior enlisted member of the CSH, to test his Soldiers' proficiency and keep them from getting complacent during their deployment. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Johnathon Jobson, TF Marne Public Affairs)  

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE SPEICHER, IRAQ

05.29.2010

Courtesy Story

United States Division-North

By Sgt. Johnathon Jobson

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE, Iraq – To push the Soldiers of his unit to live up to the "know" portion of Be-Know-Do, Command Sgt. Maj. Gerald Ecker, the command sergeant major for the 21st Combat Support Hospital, designed the "Iron Bear -- No Fear" challenge.

The first of three separate competitions was held May 28 - 29 at Contingency Operating Base Speicher. The challenge was comprised of tactical, physical and medical tasks, created to test the Soldiers' knowledge of basic military tasks and medical skills required for their jobs.

The Soldiers of "Team Extreme," all from Company B., 21st CSH, were 1st Lt. Jaime Porras, a medical materiel officer; Sgt. Joshua Cervantes, a respiratory technician and El Paso, Texas, native; Cpl. Victoria Salyers, an operating room technician from Los Angles, Calif.; Cpl. Viviana Rascon, a medical supply specialist who calls San Antonio, Texas, home; and Spc. Zack Hudson, a communications specialist from Mobile, Ala., were one of the four teams that competed in the challenge at COB Speicher.

Each team had to consist of one officer, one noncommissioned officer, a Soldier in the rank of corporal or above, one junior enlisted in the rank of specialist or below and, one female Soldier, explained Hudson. Once those requirements were met the remaining team members could be any rank or gender, he added.

The challenge started with a modified version of the Army physical fitness test. The standard test consists of Soldiers performing as many push-ups and sit-ups as possible within two minutes, and completing a two-mile run in the fastest time. In a standard APFT the Soldiers are given breaks between each event. This modified test removed the break between the push-ups and sit-ups and reduced the break before the run from 10 minutes to five minutes. Following the run the Soldiers also had to perform pull-ups for males or the flexed-arm hang for females.

"A couple of us competed in another physical fitness challenge the day before the No Fear Challenge, said Cervantes. "We all still came out here today and maxed the push-up and sit-up events. We all performed well on the run. Cpl. Rascon was a last minute addition to the team because a member had to drop out, she stepped up and is doing very well."

Demonstrating proficiency in basic hand-to-hand combative techniques, reacting to indirect fire, mortars or rockets, and evaluating a crater caused by indirect fire were also events evaluated on the first day.

"The hardest part of today was the mental tasks," said Hudson. "Having to remember all of the steps required for the react to indirect fire and evaluating the crater."

Team Extreme met the second day's first event, a two-mile, medic smart run, with high motivation and vigor. The team was required to complete the run together as well as answer tactical and medical proficiency questions provided on index cards.

After finishing first in the smart run, Team Extreme continued their streak by finishing first in the half-mile patient litter carry. For the litter carry, four members of the team had to carry the fifth member, who had to keep hold of a raw egg, on a stretcher. The egg was used to represent the fragility of a patient being moved on the stretcher. If the egg or team member on the stretcher were injured the team would automatically receive a lower score.

Following the litter carry, the competition continued with the modified prusik climb; a full-body physical exercise requiring the Soldiers to achieve the "up" position of a pull-up and while holding that position complete repetitions of leg lifts. The Soldiers of Team Extreme all maxed out their score in this event, with each of the females completing eight leg lift repetitions and the males each completing 22.

Following the modified prusik climb, the final physical event of the day turned to the technical events.

Focusing on high altitude and water survival techniques, the last event required the members of Team Extreme, individually; to demonstrate the ability to properly tie a double-headed safety line and tie a bowline knot around an anchor point to create a hasty rappel line, and work as a team to construct a one-rope bridge.

Double-headed safety lines are a basic safety harness tied around the waist with a square knot with bowline knots at the end of the ropes to provide link points to connect to a safety line.

"The team members all knew the basics of tying the knots, they had problems with locking them in, but other than that they did very well," explained Staff Sgt. Jeremy Essig, the supply non-commissioned officer in charge for Company B., 21st CSH, and one of Team Extreme's graders. "They did very well on the one-rope bridge, working together as a team to complete the task and do well in the overall event."

With one day left of the challenge Team Extreme is feeling good about how well they are doing. The final day will consist of a six-mile, escape and evade event during which the team members will be required to recite the Code of Conduct, which are the rules that a Soldier must follow should they be captured in combat. They'll also be required to demonstrate an individual understanding of tactical casualty care; and Ecker's mystery event, a self-administered intravenous infusion to test the Soldiers fortitude to survive in a desert environment when unable drink fluids.

"After the performances so far we feel very strong," said Cervantes. "Everybody's motivated, we are ready to knock out the rest of the competition and get it done," added Hudson.

The competition will also take place on Al Asad and Mosul. The top three teams at all three locations will be recognized as winners.

• Date Taken: 05.29.2010
• Date Posted: 05.31.2010 10:54
• Story ID: 50587
• Location: CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE SPEICHER, IQ