Up & Coming Weekly

May 10, 2022

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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WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM MAY 11 - MAY 17, 2022 UCW 15 EMILY SUSSMAN, Editor. COM- MENTS? Editor@upandcomingweek- ly.com 910-484-6200. COVER STORY about fire. Christopher Kibler, a civilian in- structor, asked the attendees, "What is our goal here?" In unison, they responded, "Sur- vival." Kibler rattled off a long list of pros and cons of fire and showed his audi- ence what wood to burn and how to create fire with a mix of unexpected tools, including household batter- ies. Kibler explained that while fire is essential, they teach soldiers it has a time and a place. "It provides that psychological boost. You know, you're staring at the old Ranger television, and it makes you feel good," Kibler said. "e prob- lem is you're staring at this [fire], and you don't see who is staring back at you. So, fire gives you that psychologi- cal boost, but it also gives you a false sense of security." After the group fire course, the spouses broke for a lunch of Meals, Ready-to-Eat. Next up, the spouses encountered an obstacle course of legendary proportions. e Nasty Nick obstacle course is a rite of passage for would-be Green Berets. e course is named for Col. James "Nick" Rowe, who was held captive during the Vietnam War and was one of only 34 American POWs to escape his captors. He spent five years in captivity. Rowe is credited with de- veloping the SERE program from the knowledge he gained as a POW. e course comprises more than 20 obstacles and stretches for a mile through the Camp Mackall wood- lands. As the participants navigated the course, they called out words of sup- port and coached one another over difficult hurdles. Michelle, who is an Army veteran herself, said she did not train before the event. "I had no idea what I was getting myself into," she said. At the third obstacle, she was feeling the difficulty of the task. "I am winded, and I am nervous to see what's next." However, the experience has been a positive one. "My biggest takeaway is how fortunate we, and I am, to be able to come out and do something like this. And to just be around an awesome group of people, not just the spouses but the cadre and the service mem- bers themselves. at they're taking their time to do this for us and teach us these things, give us this boost of confidence," Michelle said. Rader explains that the teams have built a strong connection by the end of the event. "You can see the interaction build, and you see how throughout the day they encourage one another, and they build on one another's strength," she said. Rader said that she feels this event exemplifies how the Special Opera- tions community works hard to sup- port soldiers and their families. "SOF World is an awesome enter- prise that focuses on the health and wellness of the whole family; this is just one of these examples that we take pride in of taking care of our soldiers and the families. Families are very important, and I think that is a great experience for all of the spouses to be able to have," Rader said. Ashton was excited about going home to share her experience with her husband. "It was a blast," she said. "We are going to sit down and talk about every single obstacle, and I am going to try to remember every instructor's name and say, 'do you know this guy' and 'do you know this guy?'" She said that her feedback for the organizers is simple, "Keep doing it … Keep doing and providing things like this." The spouse of a soldier from the USAJFKSWCS climbs a cargo net on Nasty Nick, the school's legendary obstacle course, during the Spouse Q-Course at Camp Mackall. Spouses of soldiers from the USAJFKSWCS work to move an ammo crate during the Spouse Q-Course at Camp Mackall May 4. (All photos this page are U.S. Army photos by K. Kassens, U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School) A spouse of a soldier from the USAJFKSWCS throws an atlatl during the Spouse Q-Course. The spouse of a soldier from the USAJFKSWCS samples deer meat at the school's SERE course. The spouse of a soldier from the USAJFKSWCS shoots an arrow with a hand-made bow during the Spouse Q-Course at Camp Mackall.

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