AFGSC members win second in Wilderness Challenge competition

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  • 2d Bomb Wing Public Affairs
BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La. --  Two Air Force Global Strike Command security forces members were awarded second place in the 10th annual Wilderness Challenge Oct. 7-9 in Fayetteville, W.V., after putting teamwork, technical skills and endurance to the test.

Majors Bryan Eckart and Brian Payne, AFGSC security forces division; Capt. Keri Walker, U.S. Air Force Academy, Peterson Air Force Base, Colo. and Maj. Bill Courtemanche, 618th Tanker Airlift Control Center, Scott AFB, Ill., were members of the four man team, "Mixed Bag of Nuts" during the contest.

The competition sponsored by the Navy's Mid-Atlantic Region Morale, Welfare and Recreation, brought teams from all U.S. military branches together in a battle of survival of the fittest.

The events included a 5.1-mile mountain run, 13-mile whitewater rafting race, 11-mile mountain bike race, 14-mile mountain hike/run and a 7-mile duckie/kayak race.

Although the players had to work together as a team during the competition, some didn't have a chance to train together, says Major Payne, chief of contingencies with AFGSC SF division.

"We trained four months before the event. Collectively, we ran and biked thousands of miles before the competition," he said. "When we arrived in Fayetteville, we had dinner together the night before the event and ran the 5-mile mountain run the next day as a team."

Major Eckart says regardless of the team's distance during training, they came together quickly to compete.

"Team work is extremely important because the requirement stated that each team member had to stay within 100 feet of each other, so the team had to stay together at all times," he said.

"The most physically challenging part was the 14-mile run," said Major Payne, a Charlotte, N.C., native. "We were pretty tired at that point. The most mentally challenging part was the duckie race, which is an inflatable kayak that we had to maneuver down the rapids."

The team finished second out of eight Air Force groups competing.

"I'm elated and proud we finished without any injuries," Major Payne said. "There were some teams that were hurt coming across the finish line, and some teams didn't finish at all because they were hurt."

Major Eckart says he looks forward to next year's event.

"I felt relieved and fustrated at the same time at the end of the event, fustrated because we were really looking forward to winning," he said. "I will most definitely be competing next year so we can take first place."

For more information about the competition, visit the Navy MWR Web site at http://www.wildernesschallenge.net/ or Facebook page, "MWR Wilderness Challenge."

(Courtesy of 2nd Bomb Wing Public Affairs)