First Command Team Challenge of 2012

By Maj Mike Onieu

 

Perhaps one of the reasons the Strathcona’s have excelled in so many competitions in the past year (Exercises MOUNTAIN MAN, STRONG CONTENDER, PLEIN CONTACTE and the UK’s Cambrian Patrol spring to mind) is that we foster a strong competitive spirit within the Regiment. 

In the past two years the CO and RSM have instituted a series of inter-squadron competitions known as Command Team Challenges.  Consisting of events that test military skills and physical abilities, these competitions serve to foster morale, cohesion, and esprit de corps.  The points awarded to winning squadrons contribute to the determination of the “top squadron” at our annual Battle of Moreuil Wood commemoration events.

The most recent of these Challenges was held on 16 February.  It was organized by B Squadron, but each squadron built and ran an event and entered three 15 man teams into the competition.  The events were varied: teams were tested on their ability to accurately produce maps, build and cross a rope bridge between tanks, pull a 13 tonne Coyote, manually traverse a tank turret as many times as possible in 10 minutes (it ain’t easy), and race to get into, and escape from, a Leopard. 

Competition was fierce.  Teamwork, planning, knowledge, brute strength and (in the case of the rope bridge) good knots made the difference between winning and losing.  In the end the results were:

Winning Squadron: Recce (for the second time in a row)
Winning Team: 1st Troop B Squadron

The competition was capped with a brief Regimental parade, on which the CO promoted Capt Kenny, MCpls Kenny and Folkerts, and Corporals Phelan, Langlands, Townsend, Symington, Wilson, Hogan, Macdonald, and Hazen and recognized the efforts of a number of other Strathconas as well as our sports teams for dominating the 1 CMBG Sports competition, Ex STRONG CONTENDER, in January.

And then, as is customary after these Command Team Challenges, we enjoyed a BBQ and beer so smoothly delivered by HQ Squadron.  Having honed the competitive edge amongst ourselves, we now turn our attention to delivering a solid performance as a Regiment on spring exercises.