Sgt. 1st Class Stephen Beilby surveys the landscape of Fort Irwin, Calif., from the peak of Tiefort Mountain after a climb to the summit by leaders of 4th Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment to mark the end of National Training Center Rotation 13-01, O...

FORT IRWIN, Calif. -- Senior leaders of 4th Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment climbed the summit of Tiefort Mountain after the 10th Mountain Division's (LI) 2nd Brigade Combat Team completed its rotation at the National Training Center here.

The climb to the summit gave Polar Bear leaders an opportunity to conduct a team building event that reinforced the cohesion the leaders have developed and marked the end of this rotation.

Conquering the Tiefort Mountains was no small feat. The mountain range is located in the beautiful but unforgiving Mojave Desert, where temperatures routinely break triple digits. The desolate mountain slopes are composed of sand and large rock formations that climb to more than 5,000 feet in elevation and are littered with unfriendly creatures such as rattlesnakes, scorpions and tarantulas.

Sgt. 1st Class Stephen Beilby, battalion targeting officer, remarked that the climb was very challenging and extremely rewarding.

"This event gave us an opportunity to challenge ourselves, both mentally and physically," Beilby said. "After the intense training we just completed at NTC, our minds and bodies were drained. However, in true Polar Bear spirit, we were excited for another challenge and very gratified when we (reached) the peak."

Senior leaders of 4-31 Infantry were not the only Polar Bears to reach the summit that day. When the battalion leadership arrived at the summit, they were greeted by a familiar face: Little George, a four-foot-high, 150-pound wooden statue of a polar bear.

Little George goes everywhere with the battalion, from combat deployments to field training exercises, and this adventure was no different. Unfortunately, Little George is quite cumbersome to carry up a mountain, so he was delivered to the summit aboard a Lakota helicopter.

The Polar Bears truly lived up to the 10th Mountain Division (LI) motto, "Climb to Glory," not only in their climb to the summit of Tiefort Mountain but throughout the entire National Training Center rotation.

They proved that not only can Polar Bears survive in the desert, but that they quickly adapt to become the top predator in any environment. "Pro Patria!"

(McKay serves as a fire support officer with 4th Battalion, 31st Infantry.)