Army lieutenants test for physical fitness -- Marine Corps style

Fort Huachuca, Arizona -- Thirty-four U.S. Army lieutenants gathered during the early morning hours April 22 on the Colonel Smith Middle School track to take a physical training test, but it was different from the one Soldiers normally have to pass.

Instead, they were tested Marine Corps style -- by Marines.

A dozen Marines administered the Marine Corps Combat Fitness Test (MCCFT) to students assigned to Charlie Company, 304th Military Intelligence Battalion, 111th MI Brigade, here while attending the MI Basic Officer Leadership Course (MIBOLC). This is the first time Fort Huachuca's Marine Detachment hosted the MCCFT for an entire Army unit.

The test came about when two NCOs assigned to C Co. 304th MI Bn. and their company commander approached the Marine Corps Detachment (MARDET) here about administering the MCCFT. The Marines liked the idea and were glad to comply, according to one of the two NCOs.

The 15-member MARDET staff, and 34 Army lieutenants, one Army NCO and several Soldiers from the MI Captains Career Course assembled on the track that morning where the Soldiers tested their mettle against the Marine Corps' PT standards. MARDET Commanding Officer Maj. James Hale welcomed the Soldiers, encouraging them to get out of their comfort zone, give it their all, and do the best job possible.

Soldiers had to pass three events. The test consisted of a timed 880-yard run, and a timed event during which the Soldiers had to lift 30-pound ammo cans as many times as possible during a two-minute period.

Marine Staff Sgt. Glenn Matsumura, MARDET unmanned aircraft system instructor, explained the third element, a complicated series of activities representing physical actions Service members typically perform during combat.

"This is the Maneuver Under Fire," he stated. "When [those being tested] start, they do a 25-meter run, low crawl for 10 meters and high crawl for another 10 meters. Then they do a serpentine for another 25 meters. [During the serpentine] they go from cone to cone, from left to right. It's basically a zigzag.

"Then, they'll pick up a buddy, drag them back to one of the original cones, put them in a fireman's carry and then sprint back.

"After they bring the casualty back, they pick up two 30-pound ammo cans. They run down, do the serpentine again, and then they put the cans down. They pick up and throw a [simulated] grenade and try to make it within [a marked, rectangular area near the test site]. If they land the 'grenade' in the box, they'll get five seconds subtracted from their time, but if they miss it, they'll get five seconds added to their time. They'll do three pushups, grab the ammo cans, and run back the way they came in. That's the end of that event.

"It beats you up pretty well," he said.

Staff Sgt. Elizabeth Ohlrich, instructor/writer, C Co., 304th MI Bn., one of the two NCOs who spearheaded the joint testing, took the MCCFT but on a different day.

"It sucked while I was doing it, but now that it's done it was a lot of fun, and I would totally do it again. It's good training for the lieutenants and it's good for morale. It helps determine who the Ironmen and ironwomen are," she said.

After completing all three events April 22, 2nd Lt. Guido de Best, C Co., 304th MI Bn., said, "I feel pretty good. I came in one second shy of my 300, but it's something to work towards, though. It was a pretty good event, different from doing PT. It was good. It was good to learn what the Marines do as our counterparts."

Another MIBOLC student, 2nd Lt. Christopher Ash, described his feelings after completing the test.

"I feel pretty tired. It was definitely a good experience. It was nice to see what our Marine counterparts do, and it's definitely something the Army should look to for putting inside our PT training as well.

"I didn't do anything special to prepare for the test, just running, pushups, going to the gym at night. I feel pretty tired. I used different muscles than I'm used to. It's something I definitely know I can train for."

2nd Lt. Kendra Ishida just finished her third event and was still trying to catch her breath when she was interviewed.

"I feel this event can make me a better Soldier. I'm tied for first place. It's really fun but tough, though. This is my first time working with the Marines here. They're great Service members, very motivated, very dedicated to what they're doing. I've enjoyed this. It was a good workout, a good way to start the day. I'd definitely like to see [working with the other services] happen again. It's good interaction, getting to work with the different services, and definitely good to see what they do."

After testing was complete, Marine Staff Sgt. Ismael Barrera, MARDET administrative chief, read a Medal of Honor citation designed to inspire the Soldiers and Marines who assembled near the track.

"This is a Medal of Honor Citation for a special Soldier. Put yourself in his position. Think long and hard about what the Soldier did for other Soldiers and for his country," he said.

Then, he proceeded to read about Sgt. Roy P. Benevides, Detachment B-56, 5th Special Forces Group, a Vietnam veteran who, on May 2, 1968, while assigned to the Special Forces in the Republic of Vietnam, was air dropped into a dense Vietnam jungle with 11 other Soldiers to gather intelligence about a proven large scale activity. North Vietnamese troops hit the men with heavy fire. After an evacuation helicopter was able to land, Benevides was wounded while assisting the others into the aircraft. He sustained further injury while returning to their staging area, twice, to ensure no classified information remained on-site.

"Only then, in extremely serious condition from numerous wounds and loss of blood, did he allow himself to be pulled into the extraction aircraft. Sergeant Benevides' gallant choice to join voluntarily his comrades who were in critical straits, to expose himself constantly to withering enemy fire, and his refusal to be stopped despite numerous severe wounds, saved the lives of at least eight men. His fearless personal leadership, tenacious devotion to duty, and extremely valorous actions in the face of overwhelming odds were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service, and reflect the utmost credit on him and the United States Army," the citation said.

Next, officials announced the top finishers. Three male Soldiers from C Co., 304th MI Bn., tied for first place with a perfect 300 PT score. They were 2nd Lt. Michael Sorensen, 2nd Lt. Austin Tenelshof and 2nd Lt. Nicholas Fish. The top female finisher was 2nd Lt. Denise Yanez who scored 294.

The tiebreaker challenge met with groans from the three male Soldiers. They would have to repeat the entire combat PT test.

When the dust settled and finishing times tallied, Sorensen took first place with a 300. Tenelshof snagged second with his 284 score and Fish landed the third-place spot with a 208. To the Army's credit, everyone passed the MCCFT.

"I was happy to finish [the MCCFT] in first place but too tired to be excited," Sorensen said. "It was great to work with people from other branches of service, and the Marines were super helpful in organizing the event."

The Soldier and the other members of his MIBOLC class graduate May 4. Sorensen then departs for Fort Benning, Georgia.

"This was great training," said MARDET Executive Officer Capt. Sean Kelly. He also described it as the way of the future.

"Never again in military history will we train and operate [as individual services]. Everything we do will be joint. Getting as much cross-service exposure as possible [now] will benefit everyone."

Hale closed the MCCFT with parting remarks, thanking the Soldiers for a job well done and for pushing through their pain. He advised the lieutenants that they, as officers and leaders, should always be out front and set the example for the Soldiers under their charge.