FORT WAINWRIGHT, Alaska -- Leaders from 1st Battalion, 5th Infantry Regiment conducted an assessment of their Soldiers at Birch Hill Recreation Area, Fort Wainwright, Alaska Dec. 5, 2014 in preparation for the upcoming U.S. Army Alaska Winter Games scheduled for March 2015 at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska.
Operation Bobcat ICE began with six 10-man teams snowshoeing up Birch Hill while pulling an akhio sled. Next the teams cross-country skied to a firing range and fired five rounds at designated targets. Finally they downhill skied to the finish line.
For many of the Soldiers this was their first time skiing, according to 1st Lt. Ross Nolan, operations officer for 1-5 IN.
Nolan said he was very satisfied with the training and he believes the Soldiers took a lot from it that will benefit them heading into the USARAK Winter Games.
Sgt. Charles Willoughby, a squad leader for A Co., 1-5 IN, said his newest Soldiers did pretty well despite the fact that most of them have never skied before.
Willoughby saw improvements as the event progressed and had no doubt that his team would do well at the games.
Some of 1-5 IN's newest soldiers participated in the event which was designed to mimic the 2013 USARAK Winter Games. Nolan has words of advice for those new Soldiers:
"Keep practicing on the downhill skiing," he said.
Soldiers from 1-5 IN got a lot of valuable experience and knowledge, according to Nolan and he expects a great showing from the selected teams when the games occur in March 2015.
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