FORT RUCKER, Ala. (February 19, 2015) -- As the northern U.S. is gripped in winter's icy grasp, Class 1404 of the Aviation Captains Career Course enjoyed a day of perfect weather in southern Alabama to compete for one of the installation's most coveted titles.
Soldiers of the course met in the early hours of the morning across from the Fort Rucker Physical Fitness Center to tackle the installation's trails for the AVC3 Iron Aviator competition Feb. 11 to culminate six months of rigorous training, said Capt. Laura Pangallo, AVC3 small group leader.
"Most people, from start to finish of the (AVC3) course, increase their physical fitness because we run a robust physical training program," Pangallo continued. "This event is just kind of a fun way to let them see how they've improved over the course."
The competitors were divided into four teams: Happy Discs, Frisbeasts, Bigfoot's Disc and RiDISCulous, each of which included at least one individual competitor who competed in all events. The event is comprised of arduous physical fitness tasks, starting with a 300-meter swim at the fitness center pool, a 4 ?-mile ruck march through the wooded area adjacent to Beaver Lake, an 8.8-mile bike ride through the Fort Rucker's streets and a 2-mile run to culminate the event.
Although the event is for fun and camaraderie, it's still a competition, and as with all competitions, there is someone who comes out on top.
Capt. Joe Fernandez, competitor for RiDISCulous, took the title as Iron Aviator, and Bigfoot's Disc took the group title.
"It just feels good," said Fernandez. "I didn't really think about when we first got here, but about half way through I started thinking that I might be able to do this, so I pushed a little bit harder and I was able to come out first."
Each competitor has their strengths and weaknesses when going into the competition, and for Fernandez, the swim portion was the hardest obstacle to overcome.
"Two months before when I first decided I wanted to try to win this thing, I knew I was an abysmal swimmer, so I started getting lessons from one of my teammates and he helped me to go from not being able to swim half a lap to being able to get back and forth across the pool," he said.
That level of teamwork and camaraderie is what Pangallo said the event is all about.
"This is something that builds camaraderie amongst the Soldiers and it's something the Soldiers are familiar with," she said. "We run a robust physical training program (in the captains career course), and this event is just kind of a fun way to let them see how they've improved over the course."
Although fun, the competition is grueling and, for most, the toughest event of the competition is the ruck march, during which the competitors must carry 25 pounds of equipment and a gun through a wooded trail. The swim comes in a close second being that it's a form of physical fitness that most aren't accustomed to.
Soldiers also participated as members of the pit crew, which serves to help competing team members during transitions into each event, such as coming out of the swim and getting their ruck gear ready, or preparing the bicycle for the cycling event.
Each team is allowed a theme for their team and this class' teams were comprised of their disc golf teams. Family members and even pets are also invited to come out and take part in the festivities, and are welcome to cook out, throw flying discs and enjoy in their time together, said Pangallo.
The competition is a tradition that's been going on at the Aviation Captains Career Course for more than 20 years, she said, and serves as a way to end the course on a good note.
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