FORT POLK, La. -- Patriot Soldiers participating in the Mountain Peak exercise faced an enemy that has plagued Soldiers from the time of Genghis Khan to the Dough Boys fighting in the trenches of World War I: mud.
When the rains moved in and thick mud stopped heavy vehicles, a group of Soldiers from 710th Brigade Support Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (LI), got down and dirty to help recover vehicles that were stuck in the muddy quagmire.
Without the efforts of these Soldiers, the Mountain Peak exercise may have come to a standstill.
"We got everybody back into the fight as quickly as possible," said Sgt. Mark Gutierrez, a 710th BSB Soldier attached to Juliet Forward Support Company, 2nd Battalion, 2nd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team.
"On the way to the exercise we had two vehicles in our convoy go down, so we had to lend a hand and recover them. During the exercise, we had approximately 10 vehicles that got stuck. On the first day here, we helped (317th Brigade Engineer Battalion) recover an armored vehicle that sank into the mud."
Gutierrez added that he and his crew lived up to their call sign.
"We know a lot of people are depending on us to get them back into the fight. Our call sign is 'Bounty' because we're the quicker picker-upper."
Many of the Soldiers operating recovery vehicles said the effects of their efforts were instantly visible.
"The Soldiers we helped recover were very relieved to see us," said Pfc. Keith Barber, J FSC, 2-2 Infantry. "Many of them had been guarding their vehicles for a long period of time."
While their mission was at times challenging, many of the recovery vehicle operators were happy to lend a helping hand to their fellow Soldiers in need.
"Like any success, it's very rewarding to get out there and complete your mission," Barber said.
Despite the best efforts of opposing forces and Mother Nature, the Soldiers of the Patriot Brigade managed to stay mobile, motivated and ready to fight during Mountain Peak.
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