In the dark before dawn Tuesday, in 47 degree weather, 20 hand-selected Soldiers wearing their physical training uniform met outside the Chaffee Avenue home of Fort Knox Command Sgt. Maj. John Troxell for a 75-minute intense workout called the PME (physically, mentally, emotionally) Hard Gauntlet.
"This is a friendly PT session," said Troxell to the participants before the event began. "It's for you senior Soldiers to walk away with knowledge and experience in alternatives for PT."
At 5:30 a.m. the troops were briefed about each of the 20 stations and how to perform each task effectively. The stations included a tire pull, kettle bell deck squat, hammer swing, and TRX exercises.
By 6 a.m. the participants were well on their way to muscle failure.
"If you reach failure, try to keep going for the whole time, but don't hurt yourself," Troxell said.
The Soldiers began working out at each station for one minute-one participant per set-up. When they completed one full rotation, ending up at their starting point, they continued through the cycle with 45 seconds per station. When the Soldiers made it back to their first station again, the time was dropped to 30 seconds, and they began another rotation.
When each period had been completed, Sgt. Ricky Hinote blew a whistle to let the participants know they had 30 seconds to get to the next station.
"This is great," said Sgt. 1st Class Frank Johnson about the morning exercise. "The first time we had this there were 11 exercises, now we are up to 20. It's great. This is one of the things that's helped me after my (back) surgery. And it will be great for the (Warrior Transition Battalion)."
"It's different, which is good," added Sgt. 1st Class Brian Caponi.
Approximately half way through the event several of the Soldiers began vomiting, indicating that they were pushing themselves to the limit, which was the effort level Troxell was hoping for.
Asked how the experience was feeling to them several Soldiers re-sponded with "Hooah!" while others explained that they felt smoked, or felt the burn of each exercise-either way most thought the exercise was about more than just a workout.
"It's the esprit de corps," Caponi said. "Even though we are all working at different stations at one time, we're all working toward the same thing as a collective whole."
On the last station of the morning, Troxell changed the 30-second set to one minute, and requested that participants push as hard as they could and finish strong.
"It's just not enough to be tough or fit, we need to be hardened. I did it to get the mental and emotional (aspects) involved," he explained.
Troxell explained that he hand-selected the 20 participants based on leadership and open-mindedness. He said they are "the best of the best, who lead from the front in everything they do.
"They are leaders looking to make themselves better and their Soldiers better. I know they will take the knowledge back, educate their subordinates,
and flood their organizations with the information to make their Soldiers more functionally fit."
Troxell added that the last time he orchestrated one of these exercises he knew the participants did not perform at a high level, so when choosing senior leaders for this event he was careful and mindful of who would serve the purpose best and who would absorb the information and experience.
Ultimately, Troxell said, he hopes that by way of the PME Hard Gauntlet Soldiers will be given an alternative for PT which will make them stronger in every aspect-physical, mental, emotional-so they will better serve the Army and the nation.
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