Rugged Terrain Obstacle Run raises awareness of training capability

By Staff Sgt. Kathleen V. PolancoApril 17, 2017

Rugged Terrain Obstacle Run
1 / 8 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Runners participate in the annual Rugged Terrain Obstacle Run at
Grafenwoehr, Germany, April 15, 2017. The fifth-annual Rugged Terrain
Obstacle Run increases awareness of the 7th Army Training Command's rugged terrain trails in the Grafenwoehr Traini... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army)
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Rugged Terrain Obstacle Run
2 / 8 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Runners participate in the annual Rugged Terrain Obstacle Run at
Grafenwoehr, Germany, April 15, 2017. The fifth-annual Rugged Terrain
Obstacle Run increases awareness of the 7th Army Training Command's rugged terrain trails in the Grafenwoehr Traini... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army)
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Rugged Terrain Obstacle Run
3 / 8 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Runners participate in the annual Rugged Terrain Obstacle Run at
Grafenwoehr, Germany, April 15, 2017. The fifth-annual Rugged Terrain
Obstacle Run increases awareness of the 7th Army Training Command's rugged terrain trails in the Grafenwoehr Traini... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army)
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Rugged Terrain Obstacle Run
4 / 8 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Runners participate in the annual Rugged Terrain Obstacle Run at
Grafenwoehr, Germany, April 15, 2017. The fifth-annual Rugged Terrain
Obstacle Run increases awareness of the 7th Army Training Command's rugged terrain trails in the Grafenwoehr Traini... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army)
VIEW ORIGINAL
Rugged Terrain Obstacle Run
5 / 8 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Runners participate in the annual Rugged Terrain Obstacle Run at
Grafenwoehr, Germany, April 15, 2017. The fifth-annual Rugged Terrain
Obstacle Run increases awareness of the 7th Army Training Command's rugged terrain trails in the Grafenwoehr Traini... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army)
VIEW ORIGINAL
Rugged Terrain Obstacle Run
6 / 8 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Runners participate in the annual Rugged Terrain Obstacle Run at
Grafenwoehr, Germany, April 15, 2017. The fifth-annual Rugged Terrain
Obstacle Run increases awareness of the 7th Army Training Command's rugged terrain trails in the Grafenwoehr Traini... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army)
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Rugged Terrain Obstacle Run
7 / 8 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Runners participate in the annual Rugged Terrain Obstacle Run at
Grafenwoehr, Germany, April 15, 2017. The fifth-annual Rugged Terrain
Obstacle Run increases awareness of the 7th Army Training Command's rugged terrain trails in the Grafenwoehr Traini... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army)
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Rugged Terrain Obstacle Run
8 / 8 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Runners participate in the annual Rugged Terrain Obstacle Run at
Grafenwoehr, Germany, April 15, 2017. The fifth-annual Rugged Terrain
Obstacle Run increases awareness of the 7th Army Training Command's rugged terrain trails in the Grafenwoehr Traini... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army)
VIEW ORIGINAL

GRAFENWOEHR, Germany (April 15, 2017) - Soldiers, family members and civilians eagerly waited at the Tower Barracks Physical Fitness Center here, April 15, to begin a 16-kilometer run that would challenge their mental and physical stamina while building camaraderie.

Teams of participants smiled and laughed as they crawled through the mud, hiked up and down challenging terrain, climbed various walls and fireman-carried their teammates on the trail. These were just a few obstacles of the more than 20 that were emplaced along the trail.

The U.S. Army Garrison Bavaria's Rugged Terrain Obstacle Run is an event that aims to promote physical fitness training opportunities while increasing the awareness of the 7th Army Training Command's rugged terrain trail to our U.S. and NATO forces.

The fifth-annual event adds more obstacles and distance to 7ATC's 5-kilometer rugged terrain trail, a schedulable-facility for all Soldiers to use.

Feedback from units returning here from Afghanistan motivated the Grafenwoehr's Integrated Training Area Management (ITAM) office to start a project that would replicate a steep and difficult operational environment, similar to the one faced on deployment.

The ITAM coordinator, Colleen Bergmanis, said that a lot of units stated that they never had an opportunity to conduct training here that simulated the terrain experienced on deployment.

Units would have to travel to the mountains in the Alps, where the elevations and relief were more compatible with their training objectives, said Bergmanis. A lot of temporary duty assignment's funds were being spent to find suitable training terrain, along with Soldiers sacrificing time with their families.

"The project's goal was to provide units an opportunity to conduct training close by," said Bergmanis as a result of the critical feedback. "The training would allow units to conduct cohesive team training as well as allow service members to go home to their families at night."

Now, the five-segment trail is filled with different obstacles and terrain features that aim to test Soldiers' fitness levels, cohesion, dismounted troop movements, clearing procedures and marksmanship skills under physical and mental stress.

Units or squads can implement the varied objectives of the trail in their physical training programs, as part of their warrior tasks and battle drills training or if they're just looking to build camaraderie and unit cohesion.

"I think it would help us train as we fight because of all the elevation changes, all the different angles and all the unforeseen stuff that lies ahead," said Pfc. Zac Burton, a participant who represented the 4th Battalion, 319th Airborne Field Artillery Regiment, by wearing his unit t-shirt. "It would actually help a lot in building that squad/unit cohesion."

In addition to the terrain resemblance and team-building type obstacles, the trail requires situational awareness.

"It is not paved, not well signed, there's no phone around the bend and the cell phone reception is not always optimal," said Bergmanis.

She explained the rugged terrain trail is not like a trail that is in your community or neighborhood. There are some safety concerns if one was to veer off the beaten path.

For example, users could possibly come across unexploded ordnance (UXO) or explosive remnants of war or training.

"You never know what's going to slowly find its way to the surface," said Bergmanis.

Soldiers receive UXO training and have knowledge on the potential dangers of the hazards where civilians may not. This is one of the reasons the trail is not normally open to civilians, and why the Rugged Terrain Obstacle Run is so popular with the community.

"It is a training environment so we are expecting the Soldiers to be prepared to handle terrain features like the ones they would engage in anywhere around the world," said Bergmanis.

Although it isn't safe for family members to use the terrain trail as often as they may like, the garrison's Directorate of Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation (Family and MWR) emplaced safety measures to provide this annual opportunity to use the rugged terrain trail.

The Family and MWR's chief of sports and fitness operations, Serge Kearse, explained that precautions were implemented to ensure the safety of all 537 participants during this year's event.

Along with conducting a risk assessment, personnel entering and exiting the Grafenwoehr Training Area were monitored to ensure 100% accountability. The directional-marked trail was marked with red and white engineer tape to mark no-entry zones.

There were also medical personnel at all the obstacles, ambulances stationed outside and inside the training area and volunteers spread throughout the run.

Not only were participants able to rely on the volunteers for assistance, but also on each other for morale and physical support as they motivated each other throughout the run.

In addition to highlighting the unique training capability of the rugged terrain trail, the Rugged Terrain Obstacle Run also epitomized a community coming together to build esprit de corps.

The rugged terrain trail is available for squad-through-company-sized elements and can be scheduled for use through the Range Facility Management Support System.

Related Links:

U.S. Army Europe

7th Army Training Command

US Army MWR: Grafenwoehr