{"id":235885,"date":"2024-07-26T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-07-26T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/?p=235885"},"modified":"2024-07-26T07:16:02","modified_gmt":"2024-07-26T07:16:02","slug":"to-the-utmost-rigorous-training-forms-strong-bonds-for-2cr-squad","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/?p=235885","title":{"rendered":"To the Utmost: Rigorous Training Forms Strong Bonds for 2CR Squad"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n From left, U.S. Army Spc. Jonathan White, Spc. James Rooker, Pfc. Phillip Kunde, Spc. Warrisi Abiola, Staff Sgt. Jordan Behr, and Sgt. William Hogarth, all assigned to the 2nd Cavalry Regiment (2CR), pose at the railhead at Rose Barracks, Vilseck, Germany, July 15, 2024. The squad will compete in the upcoming U.S. Army Europe and Africa Best Squad Competition later this year. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Andrew Clark)
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\n U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Jordan Behr, assigned to the 2nd Cavalry Regiment, uses a compass-to-cheek method while plotting land navigation at Rose Barracks, Vilseck, Germany, July 15, 2024. Land navigation techniques are one of the tasks the squad will be tested on during the upcoming U.S. Army Europe and Africa Best Squad Competition. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Andrew Clark)
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\u201cHe\u2019s slowing down.\u201d<\/p>\n

A squad of five 2nd Cavalry Regiment Soldiers watched their last member race around the railhead at Rose Barracks. The sun was unusually aggressive for so early in the morning, and, weighted down in full \u201cbattle rattle,\u201d the Soldier\u2019s pace was indeed slowing. Covered in sweat, with his own heart rate still dropping from finishing an intense workout, the squad\u2019s leader, U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Jordan Behr, raced out to meet his Soldier and cheer him on.<\/p>\n

\u201cMatch my pace,\u201d Behr shouted.<\/p>\n

The Soldier, Pfc. Phillip Kunde, didn\u2019t speak, but he did speed up. He ran alongside Behr to the finish. The squad crashed down in the shade of nearby trees to shed their plate carriers and helmets and debrief from the exercise. Only weeks before, these Soldiers had been total strangers, thrown together in order to compete in the V Corps Best Squad Competition.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve all grown pretty close, I would say,\u201d Kunde said. \u201c I feel like we can work as a team really well, which probably gives us a good advantage over the other teams that maybe haven\u2019t been working together as long as we have.\u201d<\/p>\n

The squad had won a decisive victory at the V Corps level, but the trials didn\u2019t end there. They now had a new purpose, and those strangers had become a tight-knit group.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe thing that really unifies us is the common goal of winning the U.S. Army Europe and Africa Best Squad Competition,\u201d Behr said. \u201cEverybody has different backgrounds, everybody has different experiences. Almost everybody has a different MOS. It\u2019s a big melting pot. Everybody\u2019s from different Squadrons, as well, so we didn\u2019t really know each other at all at the start of this competition. As we\u2019ve been training and working together it\u2019s been a lot of understanding where people\u2019s weaknesses and strengths lie.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\n U.S. Army Sgt. William Hogarth, assigned to the 2nd Cavalry Regiment, lays out a topographical map at Rose Barracks, Vilseck, Germany, July 15, 2024. The map will be used by the squad to practice spot reports and call for fire missions as they prepare for the U.S. Army Europe and Africa Best Squad Competition later this year. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Andrew Clark)
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\n U.S. Army Spc. Warrisi Abiola, assigned to the 2nd Cavalry Regiment, trains in tactical combat casualty care (TCCC) at Rose Barracks, Vilseck, Germany, July 8, 2024. TCCC is one of the warrior tasks and battle drills which will be tested in the upcoming U.S. Army Europe and Africa Best Squad Competition. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Andrew Clark)
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That variation in skill and background was used by Behr when designing the training regimen for the squad. As they learned one another\u2019s weaknesses, the squad shifted their focus to what deficiencies they needed to make up for or improve upon. Conversely, they also learned which members of the squad performed best in different areas.<\/p>\n

While looking over a topographical map the team used for Call for Fire training, Kunde admitted that while some of the physical challenges were immense, he shined most when tackling the tactics-based warrior tasks and battle drills, which will be an integral part of the upcoming competition.<\/p>\n

\u201cEverything we do pushes you to your physical and mental limit,\u201d Kunde said. \u201cIt not only shows you how far you can go, but it also helps you just be a better Soldier.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Every morning, the squad conducts rigorous physical training sessions, focusing on a balance of anaerobic and aerobic exercises with the intent of building a reservoir of endurance they can tap into during the long, grueling competition. They then break for lunch, usually spending it together. They have developed a cohesive rhythm with one another, forming naturally from hours upon hours of intense training. Throughout their weeks of training, the squad has talked endlessly, with discussion topics ranging from home-cooked meal recipes to debating who introduced the most intense physical training ideas into their regimen. They determined it might be their team leader, Sgt. William Hogarth, an expert runner who constantly pushes the squad to improve their run times.<\/p>\n

\u201cSorry, I want to see you guys win,\u201d Hogarth exclaimed, laughing.<\/p>\n

Hogarth continued by noting that, though he doesn\u2019t personally believe that any other competing squads representing units from across USAREUR-AF are training as rigorously as them, it\u2019s important to think that they are. Working against these imaginary squads is part of what motivates them, alongside improving themselves and encouraging each other.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think something about what we\u2019re doing is not getting big heads about it and thinking that all the teams are better than us,\u201d Hogarth said. \u201cThat way, we keep pushing ourselves. That way, during the competition, we\u2019re better than them.\u201d<\/p>\n

After lunch, the squad reconvenes for more training. They are familiar with what they were tested on during the V Corps Best Squad Competition and have prepared accordingly, practicing land navigation, tactical combat casualty care, marksmanship, and completing Spot Reports, among many other tasks. The biggest focus was, in addition to increased physical training, looking at what had been the most difficult part of the V Corps competition and focusing on what they could improve upon in the time they were given.<\/p>\n

It is an arduous schedule, but the squad members expressed little dismay when discussing the time they have spent together. Outside of their common goal of victory in the competition, each squad member had a different motivation for what drove them. Bragging rights was one, preparing for Ranger School another. For Behr, what hung over him most of all was considering his reputation, and fulfilling the obligation he felt towards his Soldiers and his commanders.<\/p>\n

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\n U.S. Army Spc. Warrisi Abiola, assigned to the 2nd Cavalry Regiment (2CR), performs a 320 lb deadlift during physical training at Rose Barracks, Vilseck, Germany, July 15, 2024. Abiola is a member of the 2CR squad and will compete in the upcoming U.S. Army Europe and Africa Best Squad Competition later this year. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Andrew Clark)
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\n U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Jordan Behr, front, runs alongside Pfc. Phillip Kunde during an Expert Physical Fitness Assessment (EPFA) at Rose Barracks, Vilseck, Germany, July 9, 2024. During the EPFA, the Soldiers conducted strenuous physical exercises in preparation for the U.S. Army Europe and Africa Best Squad Competition later this year. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Andrew Clark)
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\u201cThe biggest challenge comes from, primarily, the stakes,\u201d Behr said. \u201cOurs commands allowed us the opportunity to train daily for this competition. The stakes are high because if we don\u2019t win, it will feel like a disservice to those who have given us the time and resources to continue carrying the 2nd Cavalry Regiment\u2019s legacy in these competitions.\u201d<\/p>\n

Such a consistent training regimen is fairly unique, even for the members of the squad coming from infantry units. It is an opportunity to cement their basic Soldier skills into their bodies and minds, and is one that the squad members have not taken for granted.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t get a lot of this after basic training, and I think this is really good for Soldiers,\u201d Spc. Warrisi Abiola said. \u201cI think that\u2019s the motivation for me every day. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity. I use that as a motivation.\u201d<\/p>\n

On one of their last mornings of training, the squad lay once more in the shade of trees after a weighted seven-mile ruck. One Soldier mentioned that he fell behind after their first few miles were at too fast a pace. Behr responded that the group needed to stay together, and they would adjust accordingly. The squad had worked hard at removing ego from their regimen so that they were improving their abilities, not hindering them.<\/p>\n

\u201cNobody really wants to admit that they need help, and I think that\u2019s a general thing for most people,\u201d Behr said. \u201cEverybody wants to think that they can do it, but then there comes a point where physically you just need a hand. That\u2019s where the team is more important.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Back in the shade of the trees after their rigorous physical training session, smiles and laughter came easily to the team. The rigors of their schedule and the demands of the upcoming competition felt distant. For the time being, their training felt personal, their requirements only to themselves and one another.<\/p>\n

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\n U.S. Soldiers assigned to the 2nd Cavalry Regiment conduct a weighted ruck march at Rose Barracks, Vilseck, Germany, July 15, 2024. The Soldiers conduct strenuous physical exercises in preparation for the U.S. Army Europe and Africa Best Squad Competition later this year. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Andrew Clark)
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1 \/ 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption \u2013 From left, U.S. Army Spc. Jonathan White, Spc. James Rooker, Pfc. Phillip Kunde, Spc. Warrisi Abiola, Staff Sgt. Jordan Behr, and Sgt. William Hogarth, all assigned to the 2nd Cavalry Regiment (2CR), pose at the railhead at Rose Barracks, Vilseck, Germany, July 15, 2024. The squad […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":235887,"comment_status":"close","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-235885","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/235885","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=235885"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/235885\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":235895,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/235885\/revisions\/235895"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/235887"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=235885"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=235885"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=235885"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}