FORT HOOD, Texas --Fort Hood's Better Opportunities for Single Soldiers organization hosted its 5th annual Food Fear Factor event at the BOSS Headquarters, April 24, offering food that is hard to stomach.
The competition treated over 10 participants to a squeamish afternoon meal of various, and somewhat edible, foods, all for a chance to take home some prizes.
Contenders had to finish what was served before them to avoid being eliminated from the competition, and Sgt. Tiffany Forbes, BOSS secretary, helped to ensure this was no simple feat.
"Each contestant had to go through ten rounds of eating things that are not normally on your plate," said Forbes. "We had some things that were very hot and some things that were very nasty."
Bear Grylls, from the hit TV show "Man vs. Wild," might have even had a second thought about some of the cuisine brought out at this year's food line-up. The competition included sea squirts, butterfly cocoons, raw squid, hot sauce, wasabi and worms to name a few items off the menu.
Although some of the foods were unpleasant and unusual, Forbes says that an event like this helps to bring Soldiers together and boost their morale.
"It's a fun thing and I think the more we do events like this, it will bring in more Soldiers and it will make more single Soldiers want to hang out," said Forbes.
One of the Soldiers who put their gut on the line for second place was Spc. Elifredo Cabrera, a power-generation equipment repairer with the 602nd Maintenance Support Company, who said he had a great time competing against fellow Soldiers.
"It was pretty fun and it was pretty painful," said Cabrera. "I almost lost it when I saw a worm hanging from another competitors mouth."
The hardest part for Cabrera during the event was enduring the infamous "Devil's Piss" hot sauce, a BOSS Food Fear Factor favorite, which was served twice during the competition.
"That hot sauce was the hardest part because I felt it and my mouth stayed on fire throughout the next challenges," said Cabrera.
He said all the pain was worth it in the end because he walked away with a prize.
The 1st place winner of the BOSS Food Fear Factor challenge had some words of advice for anyone thinking of putting their intestinal fortitude to the test for the next competition.
"Don't try unless you have an iron gut," said Pvt. James Pittman, an interior electrician with the 104th Engineer Company.
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