2-508 wins gold in UK

[Jim]

Fury Brings Home Gold From UK Cambrian Patrol

http://www.army.mil/article/158720/

[rangerjd]

This is a very good and intense competition. I had the opportunity in 1992 of leading the very first US team to participate in the Cambrian Patrol as a member C Co, 14th MI, I Corps LRSC, we also received a Gold medal. We had to obtain a waiver to compete because as team leader I was an NCO and the rules state all team leaders must be officers. At that time the only officers we had in the company were our company commander and the XO. They gave us the waiver, but didn't think that we would be able to complete the competition without an officer. Of all of the OP orders given I received the highest marks for mine, they said they were blow away by the detail, all I did was take out my Ranger Handbook and gave it to Ranger standards. The very last thing we were graded on was a live fire, movement to contact. Just prior to the live fire they killed me off, to bring me in for a debriefing. This is where a lot of teams fall apart, when the team leader is taken away. My second in command was a SGT/E5 and once again they were blown away by how well my team preformed, they got the highest score overall on the movement to contact. It's hard to beat a highly motivated Ranger SGT. We had an eight man team and everyone of us were Ranger Qualified except my PFC RTO, who was the best RTO in the business. In one day we hit sunshine, sleet, hail, snow and sunshine again. The Gold Medal I received is one of my most prized possessions from the military.

[fatboy]

Snipped for brevity.
In one day we hit sunshine, sleet, hail, snow and sunshine again. The Gold Medal I received is one of my most prized possessions from the military.

That sounds a whole lot like being at CMTC/ Hohenfels Germany. That place was the most miserable land that GRITS forgot about when it came to fucked up weather. In one 24 hour period we had 80 degree heat, dropped down to about 20 that night and then back up to mid 70's the next day. With other seemingly biblical weather events thrown in as well.
Cool Gold Medal too. I had a similar foreign award from Italian Alpinis for going through their Mountain climbing/ Instructor course. One of only a 3 American Soldiers at the time to earn it. (Who knows how many have gone through the course now. With the war in Afghanistan going on, I would hope the US Army begged the Italians to cover Mountain warfare for the 173rd guys prior to deploying on an on-going basis.)

[Jim]

I had a rifle and AT platoon in 2-508 IN. Traditionally, a good unit in the Airborne Division. When I was there we jumped with the Brits in an exercise in Turkey in 1973. The Turks awarded us all their jump wings (honorary). Cool badge.

Agree with you, fatboy, about Hohenfels. Weather changes hourly -- and it always gets worse..