Up & Coming Weekly

May 18, 2021

Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.

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12 UCW MAY 19-25, 2021 WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM On a normal day at Camp Mackall, hundreds of soldiers seeking to join the elite ranks of Army Special Operations, are running, rucking, climbing and utilizing logic and intelligence to solve problems. On May 6, things looked a little different as the U.S. Army John F. Ken- nedy Special Warfare Center and School's Family Programs hosted a Spouse Q- Course, which brought the spouses of Special Operations soldiers, cadre and students to the training ground to walk a mile or two in their soldiers' boots. Dee Ann Rader, the Family Resiliency Coordinator for Family Programs, greeted the spouses with a big smile. "is is go- ing to be a great day," said Rader. "Noth- ing but good vibes today. I know the spouses are going to have a great day, and that the SWCS cadre will do a great job." Rader's enthusiasm was matched by the spouses who came in groups and be- gan to mingle immediately. e spouses were excited and their energy filled the room. "is is really a great day to have this event," continued Rader. "Tomorrow (Friday, May 7) is Military Souse Appreci- ation Day — so we couldn't have chosen a better day." e event is one of many family events that is funded by One Team. One Team is an Army funded inclusive program intended to fill in gaps in readiness of SWCS student spouses and families, with the goal of providing resources, training, connections and mentorship to build a firm foundation of knowledge, strength and resiliency as they move forward in the Special Operations community. e group was welcomed to Camp Mackall by Maj. Jacob Wachob, acting commander of 1st Bn., 1st Special War- fare Training Group. 1st Battalion is in charge of ARSOF Selection and Assessments, as well as the qualification courses for Civil Affairs, Psychological Operations and Special Forces. "We hope this will be a fun and educational day for you," he said. "You are going to face some challenges, try some good food and have the op- portunity to see and do things that you have not done before. Bite off what you can chew — figura- tively and literally — and we hope you have a great day." "Nasty Nick" is the world-famous obstacle course that stretches across Camp Mackall. Prior to beginning their day, the spouses watched a video that describes the course. Looking across the room, the spouses looked on in trepidation, but also in excitement. "You are going to get to do things today that most people won't ever get to do. e obstacle course assess your strength, agility and forces you to conquer your fears," a member of the cadre explained. Prior to tackling the obstacle course, the spouses spent time at the SERE Compound. SERE (Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape) is a training program that prepares U.S. military personnel, Department of Defense civilians and contractors to survive and "return with honor" should they ever be captured by enemy forces. At the SERE compound, the spouses were divided into teams — much like the small teams Army Special Operations Soldiers operate in while deployed — to move through various areas of the training, including weapons, trapping and survival techniques. ey also had a chance to check out the "Road Kill Café." At the trapping location, spouses learned how soldiers were trained to find water and food if they were ever caught behind enemy lines. A member of the cadre explained that students are taught to focus on protein, noting that students are taught about animals that they can find in var- ious areas of the world, and were shown number of ways of trapping an animal using things you find around you like a rock or string. He explained that a soldier may set 12 traps, but percentage wise would only get one hit, noting that they are looking for smaller animals such as squirrels, rabbits and even rats. Jessica, whose husband is in the Civil Affairs Qualification Course, signed up for the event because she "wanted to see first-hand what her husband was going through" so she could "relate to the stories " her husband shared with her about his training. "is gives me perspective on what he is doing, and I can understand what he is talk- ing about." At the weapons station, they learned that weapons can be made from just about anything, including rocks and sticks. ey were given the opportunity to use a couple of the weapons, the first, called a "rabbit stick," is quite literally a heavy stick that is thrown in a lateral movement at a small animal. e next weapon was a man- made spear that was launched with an atlatl, which is a tool that uses leverage to achieve great velocity. Elle, a vivacious brunette, was the first to jump at the chance to throw the rabbit stick. Her throw was not on the mark — or even near it — but she laughed at how bad her throw was. "My husband is in the Special Forces Qualification Course, and Spouses attend Special Operations Q-Course at Camp Mackall by JANICE BURTON COVER Carolyn Roberson prepares to launch a man-made spear with an atlatl, a tool that uses leverage to increase velocity. An Army spouse low crawls under a concertina wire obstacle. A SWCS instructor shows an Army spouse how to use a bow and arrow. A team of Army spouses work together to figure out a task on a leader reaction course.

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