FORT HOOD, Texas - Approximately 90 Soldiers from the Battery B, 5th Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, had to put on their thinking caps Sept. 25 as they tried to successfully negotiate obstacles at the Leader's Reaction Course on Fort Hood.
"The LRC is a confidence building course which allows Soldiers to face some of their fears; heights, jumping and going through and over obstacles they may have never faced," said Sgt. 1st Class Derrick Webb, a Cannon Crewmember, assigned to Battery B, 4th BCT. "They're being graded on teamwork, and their ability to accomplish the task to standard within a certain time limit, and their ability to answer simple artillery-related questions. The team with the most points at the end of the day wins."
Squads were briefed on safety, task standards, and also a short historical vignette about the battalion at each station.
In addition, the eight squads were given ropes, pipes, wooden planks, and ammunition boxes to help overcome each obstacle, which required them to get the members of their squad from one side of a mine field to the other without losing any squad members.
Pfc. Jeremy Champion, a Field Artilleryman assigned to 5th Bn., 82nd FA, said a lack of physical condition wouldn't necessarily prevent a Soldier from successfully accomplishing the missions.
"Being strong and in shape are assets in this kind of training, but when you're stuck on an obstacles, and you can't figure out what to do next, it's good to know that your squad members are there to help you think through the next move," said Champion, from Talladega, Ala.
The obstacle course had the Soldiers walking on wooden planks, scaling walls, jumping on ropes, and working together to accomplish their missions.
Some of the obstacles completed by the Soldiers had water underneath them to add to the difficulty, and for the few unfortunate Soldiers who fell in, they served notice to the others Soldiers who followed.
Training like this ensures that Soldiers know what to do if they are faced with a similar situation in combat, said Champion, who was recognized as the "Hero of the Day" for his performance on the course.
Motivation was high as each squad swung, pushed, pulled, and jumped their way through the stations, but at the end of the training; Sgt. Sherman Cobb, a Field Artillery Automated Tactical Data Systems specialist , Pfc. Jeremy Champion, a Field Artilleryman, Pfc. Dave Allan, a Cannon crewmember, Spc. Steffan Gipson, a Field Artillery Automated Tactical Data Systems specialist, Cpl. Abraham Rios, a Field Artillery Automated Tactical Data Systems specialist, Spc. Ralph Roque, a Chemical Operations specialist, and Pfc. James Beebe, a Cannon crewmember, members of squad "BYOB" won for the day.
"Today's mission was to instill pride in being an artilleryman and to build unit cohesiveness while accomplishing certain tasks," said Capt. Jared Miller, Battery B's commander, of Ashville, N.C. "I believe we accomplish what we came here to do."
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