FORT BRAGG, N.C. (Army News Service, June 4, 2009) - When the cavalry switched from horses to motorized vehicles, the formerly mounted Soldiers turned in their saddles and sabers, but were unwilling to part with their spurs.
Today, spurs remain an honored part of the cavalryman's uniform as is the right to wear black Stetson cowboy hats, specifically the type worn by members of the Order of the Spur, but to earn those rights cav Soldiers must undergo a grueling competition known as a spur ride.
The 1st Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division held a Spur Ride May 27-29 here, the first since 1996. More than 100 Soldiers, broken down into three groups, completed the event. Each group took a day to finish the ride.
The spur ride is indoctrination into the cavalry, said Sgt. 1st Class Mark Mack, a platoon sergeant with B Troop, 1st Sqd. 73rd Cav. Regt., who earned his spurs on a three-day spur ride in Kuwait in 2000.
"I can't encourage my Joes to do it if I hadn't already done it," said Mack comparing the spur ride to a fraternity induction.
Spur candidates were not given formal training for the ride, but only a study guide about two weeks before, said Staff Sgt. Matthew Jordan.
"They're on their own to prepare themselves for the event," he said. "The question is, how bad do they want it'"
The spur ride began with motivational training, a packing list inspection, instruction on how to mount a horse and squad presentations to what is called the spur board which consisted of five senior spur holders who asked questions about cavalry, Army and division history sad Sgt. 1st Class Richard Flint. Candidates also sang the Army song and recited "Fiddler's Green, the cavalrymen's poem.
Candidates were then given coordinates to nine stations which they found using land navigation skills. At each station had a different objective where the candidates had to demonstrate proficiency in communications, weapon assembly, preparation for airborne operation, tactical site exploitation, bypassing a danger area, reporting enemy contact, vehicle recovery, casualty evacuation and a written test.
Flint said the ride is challenging both mentally and physically.
The mission at one station was for the squad to cross a creek without coming into enemy contact. One member of the squad would be injured by the enemy and the remaining candidates were to retreat back across the creek, keeping their teammate alive.
At the weapons assembly station, candidates were given 10 minutes to put together six different weapons from a bin containing the pieces of each weapon. They then carried them uphill and established road security.
Lt. Col. Mike Foster who completed the course and earned his spurs on the first day was able to assist with the second day's events and encourage camaraderie by giving the candidates a history of cavalrymen and paratroopers.
The unit's goal is to conduct a spur ride once or twice every year. Because there were so many troopers who volunteered for the inaugural spur ride, there will never again be such a large group to participate in the event, Foster said.
Since 1996, any new spur holders at Fort Bragg had obtained their spurs at another post, according to Foster. Some troopers took the opportunity to do the ride a second time to be awarded spurs with their current unit.
Staff Sgt. Michael Doesken of the 73rd Cav. Regt said he was awarded his first set of spurs on that 1996 ride and since then he's received two more pair from different units and he knows the challenges and difficulty in earning them.
"It's a test of knowledge. It's a test of skill. But more than that it's a test of heart," he said.
(Pfc. Kissta M. Feldner serves with 2nd BCT, 82nd Airborne Public Affairs.)
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