NCOs participate in themed physical readiness training

By Anna PedronJune 16, 2015

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(Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

FORT BENNING, Ga., (June 17, 2015) -- NCOs from Fort Benning's Armor units participated in the Senior NCO physical readiness training hosted by the U.S. Army Armor School June 12 at the Abrams Training Division facility in Sand Hill.

"We do this because we have so many different units underneath the Armor school and we like to get everybody together," said Sgt. 1st Class Russell J. Zacherl of the Armor School. "To encourage espirit de corps, camaraderie - and just get everyone out and have some fun."

The training event, which takes place every quarter, was formatted like a relay, with teams of six men completing 10 obstacles to reach the finish line.

"What we started to do was put themes on these events," Zacherl said. "This one was an Abrams tanker theme, to let everyone get a taste of what everyone else goes through. So the next one might be a scout theme with reconnaissance tasks, and the one after that might be an Infantry theme. Most events for this one were pulled out of the old tankers physical fitness program."

There were 11 teams, with six men per team, competing in the events.

The teams had to go through the following obstacles:

•300 flutter kicks (50 per person).

•A 220-yard sprint.

•Keep in Memory game - a game designed help Soldiers remember what they saw; they are allowed to look at a collection of items for a minute and then remember each item and its description after completing the other physical challenges.

•Tank round relay - a tank had six stations on and around it, and each man filled each position once for a total rotation of six times.

•Cable crawl - teams of two had to crawl with a tank cable on their backs as if under fire down to a marked cone, then stand up and sprint back carrying the cable.

•Eight-section track pad carry - the team picked up one track section from an Abrams tank and carried it down to a cone and back.

•Road wheel carry - each team had to carry three wheels down to a cone and back.

•A tire flip down to a cone and back.

•One man per team had to manually traverse a tank turret.

•250 pushups as a team.

After everything, each team was given a score sheet and asked to record what they saw as part of the KIM test.

The team from 3rd Squadron, 16th Calvary Regiment took first place, with teams from 1st Battalion, 81st Armor Regt., and 2nd Bn., 47 Infantry Regt., taking second and third.

The winners received commemorative beer glasses for the 75th Armor anniversary before being dismissed by Command Sgt. Maj. Michael S. Clemens, command sergeant major of the Armor School.

"Thank you all for participating," Clemens said. "I hope you had fun and got some good PT in. Great job everyone - now get back to work."