FORT STEWART, Ga. - Soldiers from the 526th Engineer Company, 92nd Engineers Battalion, participated in the Warrior Adventure Quest program at Holbrook Pond Recreation Area and Campground, March 10.
The WAQ is an Army-wide program, offered to Soldiers returning from deployment. It is an avenue that helps Soldiers cope with different kinds of issues that may have developed for them while they were deployed.
"It's designed to help Soldiers deal with stress, anxiety, and adrenaline issues," said Chris Dent, recreation delivery coordinator for Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation. "The program shows them safe alternatives. Here at Fort Stewart, we utilize paintball, mountain biking, kayaking, and low-ropes team building."
For many of the Soldiers of 526th Eng., 92nd Eng.Bn., the morning began with paintball. The first mission was to capture the blue flag, retrieving it from the opposing team; while the second mission was to defend the flag. With Soldiers running from tree-to-tree and creeping behind boards, the game soon filled the air with that orange paint balls flew through the air.
"Our mission was to get the flag. We started out as offense. I was the first one to retrieve the flag, but then I was shot. So, our team lost," said Pvt. Kaheem Isaac. "[Warrior Adventure Quest] is a good experience for Soldiers to come out and have fun."
Following the paintball game, a different group of Soldiers were on their way to begin the land navigation mountain biking portion of the program. Upon arriving to their location, the bikes complete with helmets, were readily available to the Soldiers. Their mission was to complete a course by following instructions.
"The biking portion was fun," said Spc. Joshua Williams. "Just getting out and doing something different than the norm is good."
While teams of Soldiers were completing different portions of Warrior Quest, others were practicing team building exercises. In that event, Soldiers worked together to complete small obstacle courses without verbal communication. As a result, hand signals, body movement, and even cell phones were tools for communication.
"We did ropes, no-ropes exercises. The object was to communicate with each other without speaking to get across the obstacle," said Spc. Robert Gadberry. "It was definitely something that required team building, especially when you're in an unstable environment. Also, a program like this is a good stress reliever. We are in a casual environment, getting exercise and this is a good way to spend the day."
Warrior Adventure Quest runs through October, benefiting Soldiers in about 30 garrisons, Dent said. The idea behind programs like WAQ is to provide a means to alleviate levels of tension. The program emphasizes adaption and strength through resiliency, a topic discussed to the Soldiers at the conclusion of the games.
"Once the Soldiers have completed the day's activities, we sit down with them and go through a resiliency portion of the program," Dent said. "We talk about how they felt about the program, how it relates to what they may have experienced downrange, and how they can use it as a tool to relieve stress."
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