WEST POINT, NY - Commanders, senior noncommissioned officers and leaders from across 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division headed for the hills of West Point, New York for their "Bushido" training event from April 16-20, 2018.
The week was designed to build readiness and resilience in the BCT's command teams. "Bushido" is a Japanese term for the code of honor and morals developed by Japanese samurai. Japanese history plays a vital role in 3BCT's "Rakkasan" heritage. Rakkasan is a Japanese term, loosely translating to "falling down umbrella men," based on the WWII Soldiers of the 187th Infantry Regiment, whose Japanese enemies did not have a word for "paratroopers."
When Col. John Cogbill, 3BCT commander, began planning the event with his staff, he knew he wanted the training to take place outside of Fort Campbell on challenging and unfamiliar terrain. This would test his leaders' agility and present them with rugged terrain and environmental conditions not found at their home station.
"When we're faced with the most intense fight of our lives," said Cogbill, "[I want to know] that we're going to be okay, because of the training we provided."
The search led the team to select the mountains of Camp Buckner, the training camp for the United States Military Academy at West Point. Exercise planners made every effort to keep the location a secret until participants were on the bus en route to their destination.
After arriving, teams had little time to rest before the challenges began. Their first event required them to build a one-rope bridge and traverse themselves and equipment across a river. Next, they moved to conduct rappels from 75-foot cliffs.
In addition to the rugged terrain, hosting the event at West Point provided engagement opportunities with experts from the faculty. Jeff Monken, head coach of the Army 'Black Knights' football team, met with the Rakkasan Soldiers at the rappel site and shared a coaching session focused on leadership, teamwork and winning in the face of adversity.
After the mountaineering events, the two platoons marched in a driving snow storm to an objective held by enemy forces, role-played by U.S. Marines. The platoons made contact and moved casualties through the mountains to a helicopter landing zone. They continued to operate through the night in sub-freezing temperatures, conducting further raid and ambush missions.
Cogbill described how the brutal weather conditions and challenging terrain helped forge a strong and resilient team.
"I can give you example after example of individuals stepping up and taking charge in the face of adversity," said Cogbill. "Individuals falling down and getting back up, individuals helping out by carrying more than their fair share of the load, taking care of each other, and doing the right thing when no one was looking."
The next morning, platoons marched to an icy lake. There they faced simulated indirect fire and chemical attack before boarding Zodiac watercraft and moving to a final point, then carrying the boats another mile to Camp Buckner.
When they returned, the final challenge was to construct field-expedient "Toriis," the Rakkasan unit symbol. The winning Torii, as selected by Cogbill, was displayed during the Super Supper Barbecue later that night.
At the dinner, several USMA guest speakers led a panel on leadership, training, and preparing the leaders of tomorrow. Col. Nicholas Gist, the head of the Department of Physical Education, emphasized the importance of Soldiers being functionally trained to conduct combat related movement.
Col. Everett Spain, the Behavioral Sciences and Leadership department head at USMA, complimented the company command teams for their commitment to leading today's Soldiers.
"The Captain and the First Sergeant are the two most important positions in the United States Army," Spain said. "It's very special for us older Soldiers to speak with those who are at the epicenter of leader development and national security."
The trip continued with multiple stops on the West Point campus. Ten company command teams led break-out session with cadets during a Mission Command Conference. Others received a tour of the campus and facilities. The final day concluded with a meal at the West Point Club and remarks from USMA Commandant Brig. Gen. Steve Gilland, former 101st Abn. Deputy Commanding General for Operations.
Having completed the crucible leader training event, the Rakkasan command teams learned first-hand about leadership, teamwork, and resilience in a harsh, complex environment.
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