BOSS Factor: Soldiers Stage Own Version of TV's Dare-Reality Show

By Cpl. Im Jin-minApril 1, 2008

Yongsan BOSS Factor
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Yongsan BOSS Factor
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Yongsan BOSS Factor
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YONGSAN GARRISON, Republic of Korea - They choked on spiced-up peppers, had their eyebrows waxed, and wolfed down something that looked like dog food mush.

Yongsan's version of Fear Factor came in the form of BOSS Factor, and two Soldiers from the 501st Military Intelligence Brigade here each took home a flat-screen TV for having the toughest mettle.

More than 200 fellow Soldiers cheered on 30 teams from Yongsan and Camp Casey at Balboni Theater Saturday through a tamer version of the blockbuster dare-reality TV show - no live cockroaches or driving cars through walls of fire here.

Winners Pfc. Ryan Ebersole and Pfc. David Yankovitz led the way.

"We just feel like we came out from a ball of fire," Ebersole said after finishing the final challenge.

"It was rough, intimidating and mind boggling," Yankovitz added.

BOSS Factor was developed by Yongsan's Better Opportunities for Single and Unaccompanied Soldiers program, which plans and conducts recreational activities and gives Soldiers a chance to participate in community events.

"We took a consensus from the Soldiers and they brought this great idea to the BOSS council," said Staff Sgt. Machell White-Broderick, Yongsan's BOSS coordinator. "We just put it in motion."

The teams worked their way through seven challenges, starting with gobbling down a plateful of green pepper, garlic and onion smothered in hot sauce.

One feat after another gradually eliminated teams as they struggled to eat questionable food concoctions and perform painful stunts, such as waxing their eyebrows.

In the final challenge, the remaining four teams found themselves putting together a puzzle using items found in junk-filled buckets, then racing down MP Hill to finish.

"It was a blast watching," said spectator Spc. Dimas Fomseca. "This is definitely going to build the Soldiers' morale."