Military Obstacle Course Challenges

Dynamic images of military personnel navigating training obstacle courses, demonstrating physical prowess and determination in varied environments.

Spc. Aaron Fiscelli of Saint Claire, Michigan, a Health Care Specialist with the Michigan National Guards 1171st Medical Company Area Support Company scales the climbing rope of the obstacle course during the Region IV Best Warrior Competition on May 14, 2022. He is one of twelve National Guard Soldiers competing in the Region IV Best Warrior Competition May 11-15, 2022, at Camp Ripley, Minnesota. The annual competition tests the military skills, physical strength and endurance of the top Soldiers and noncommissioned officers from the Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, and Ohio National Guards. The winners will move on to compete in the National Guards competition on July 20-30, 2022, at Camp Smyrna, Tennessee. (Minnesota National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Sydney Mariette.)

Army Spc. William Inman-Ruzicka navigates the weaver on the confidence course for the Kentucky National Guard Best Warrior Competition at Wendell H. Ford Regional Training in Greenville, Ky. on Nov. 10, 2022. The winners of the competition will go on to the regional competition later in the year.

An Airman bounds over a barrier during part of the Defender Challenge event May 17 at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. Teams competed in various timed challenges related to the security forces experience. The Challenge was part the 96th Security Forces Squadrons Police Week activities. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

(Left to right) Team 49, 1st Lt. Nicholas Plocar with the Wisconsin Army National Guard and Capt Robert Killian with the Colorado Army National Guard, complete the commando crawl obstacle during the first day of the 29th Annual David E. Grange, Jr. Best Ranger Competition at Fort Benning, Ga., April 13. Killian and Plocar placed sixth overall in the competition.

Recruits with Hotel Company, 2nd Recruit Training Battalion, complete the Crucible aboard Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, S.C., April 7, 2022.The Crucible serves as the 54-hour culminating event of recruit training and offers recruits the ultimate challenge to persevere through a variety of obstacles and events.

Staff Sgt. Jacob Kelly, a member of 157th Security Forces Squadron, competes in the obstacle course component of the New Hampshire Army National Guard Ranger Assessment at the Edward Cross Training Center in Pembroke, New Hampshire Sep. 17, 2022. Kelly was one of three Airmen who participated alongside soldiers of the NHARNG and was selected to attend the Ranger Training Assessment Course at Fort Benning, Georgia, after finishing within the top three competitors in the NHARNG Ranger Assessment.

Spc. Darwynn McPherson, Army Materiel Command, leaps over an obstacle during the 'Stress Fire' event of the Army Best Warrior Compeition held Sept. 27-Oct. 2 at Fort Lee, Va. (

Pfc. Brayden D. Cooper, an Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal technician from the 763rd Ordnance Company (EOD), pulls up between the wooden planks that up station three - called The Weaver” - of Fort Leonard Wood’s Confidence Course, July 1, at Training Area 97. Cooper was training for the U.S. Army Air Assault School. U.S. Army photo by Angi Betran, Fort Leonard Wood Public Affairs Office.

Chilean Marine Lance Cpl. Angel Andrés Vásquez Sagredo, navigates the challenges on the obstacle course during the Texas Military Department Best Warrior Competition at Camp Swift, Texas, May 5, 2022. The friendly, three-day competition challenges service members on professional military knowledge, marksmanship, obstacle course and land navigation. The Army winners of this event will move on to represent Texas at the National Guards Region V Best Warrior Competition. (Photo by Warrant Officer 1 Gregory Illich)

Spc. Aaron Fiscelli of Saint Claire, Michigan, a Health Care Specialist with the Michigan National Guards 1171st Medical Company Area Support Company scales the climbing rope of the obstacle course during the Region IV Best Warrior Competition on May 14, 2022. He is one of twelve National Guard Soldiers competing in the Region IV Best Warrior Competition May 11-15, 2022, at Camp Ripley, Minnesota. The annual competition tests the military skills, physical strength and endurance of the top Soldiers and noncommissioned officers from the Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, and Ohio National Guards. The winners will move on to compete in the National Guards competition on July 20-30, 2022, at Camp Smyrna, Tennessee. (Minnesota National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Sydney Mariette.)

Spc. Brandon Mitchell, 337th Engineer Battalion, 55th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, one of 15 Pennsylvania Army National Guard Soldiers competing in the 2022 state Best Warrior Competition, does the low crawl in the obstacle course April 11, 2022, at Fort Indiantown Gap, Pa. The Soldiers competed in nine events designed to test their physical and mental endurance: night land navigation, a medical event, Army Combat Fitness Test, a written exam, a mystery event, the obstacle course, a 12-mile ruck march, and finally, a leadership/appearance board.

In 2018, Sam Short was diagnosed with spinal cancer. As part of the Make A Wish Foundation, Sam wanted a chance to stand on the yellow footprints at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island for a chance to earn the title United States Marine. From April 27-28, Short will complete a condensed boot camp alongwith a platoon of Marines in hopes of earning the honorary title of Marine. Short, who is 16 years-old, is from Columbus, Oh.

U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Raymond Lotman, right, small arms technician, Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 225 (VMFA-225), 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, low crawls during a culminating event for a Marine Corps Martial Arts Program (MCMAP) gray and green belt course at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Arizona, July 26, 2022. MCMAP aims to strengthen the mental and moral resiliency of individual Marines through combat training.

U.S. Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Zachary Willms, a network administrative chief with Tactical Exercise Control Group, grapples alongside fellow Marines of Headquarters Company, III Marine Expeditionary Force Marine Support Battalion, during a unit physical training event Sept. 29, 2022, at Camp Courtney, Okinawa, Japan. The Marines worked on their hand-to-hand combat capabilities to strengthen camaraderie and build confidence. Willms, 33, is from Wausau, Wisconsin.

Army Reserve Spc. Hallie Koches, assigned to the 78th Army Band, balances on a obstacle on the Confidence Course during the Army Reserve Best Squad Competition, at Fort McCoy, Wisconsin, on May 15, 2022. Approximately 40 soldiers from across the nation traveled to Fort McCoy, Wisconsin, to compete in the 2022 U.S. Best Squad Competition from May 14-21, 2022. BWBSC is an annual competition that brings together the best Soldiers and squads from across the U.S. Army Reserve to earn the title of Best Warrior and Best Squad among their peers. Competitors are evaluated on their individual and collective ability to adapt and overcome challenging scenarios and battle-focused events that test their technical and tactical abilities under stress and extreme fatigue.

Staff Sergeant Andrei M. Ciont, 264th Medical Battalion Drill Instructor,navigates the Weaver obstacle during the best medic competition, Sep. 29, 2022 at Joint Base San Antonio-Camp Bullis, Tx. The event included the Army Combat Fitness Test, obstacle course, M-4 qualification, warrior tasks and battle drills, land navigation, a Tactical Combat Casualty Care assessment and 12-Mile Ruck March.

U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Christopher Walker, left, a transmissions system operator with 9th Communication Battalion, I Marine Expeditionary Force Information Group, assists Cpl. Alexis Flippo, right, an imagery analysis specialist with 1st Intelligence Battalion, I MIG, over a log during a martial arts instructor course physical training session at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California, Nov. 30, 2022. MAI courses certify Marines to instruct and monitor Marine Corps Martial Arts Program training and advance Marines in the program, distinguishing their levels of experience with different colored belts.

U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Daniel Trimner, an equipment electrical systems technician, with 8th Communication Battalion, II MEF Information Group, II Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF), and native of Athens, Wisconsin, traverses an obstacle during an obstacle course physical training event at Naval Station Rota, Spain, December 7, 2022. Marines from II MEF rapidly deployed to Allied countries in order to foster strategic relationships and interoperability, support transatlantic security, and increase tactical proficiency in maritime environments.

U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Brian Morris bear crawls for a Republic of Korea Marine Corps combat fitness test during Korea Viper 24.1 at Republic of Korea 1st Marine Infantry Division Headquarters, Republic of Korea, Feb. 8, 2024. The CFT is an annual physical fitness evaluation that measures a Marine's combat readiness and includes a movement to contact, ammunition can lift, and maneuver under fire. In its first iteration, Korea Viper demonstrates the ROK-US Marine Corps ability to respond decisively in the region as a singular, unified force while strengthening relationships and trust between the two allies. The Marines are with 2d Battalion, 7th Marines. Morris, a native of California, is a rifleman with 2d Battalion, 7th Marines. 2/7 is forward deployed in the Indo-Pacific under 4th Marine Regiment, 3d Marine Division as part of the Unit Deployment Program. Marine Corps

Master Sgt. Joseph Cole vaults climbs over an obstacle at the Camp Humphreys obstacle course.First Sgt. Christopher Stevens of Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Combat Aviation Brigade and Master Sgt. Joseph Cole of the 602nd Aviation Support Battalion competed in the obstacle course event of the mungadai. Originating back in the 13th century, Genghis Khan used this test to select his elite Mongolian cavalry forces. Now it is used to test the leadership and build esprit de corps among Soldiers. The U.S. Forces Korea mungadai is a one week event designed to test these very skills.

Army Staff Sgt. Jose Moreno, with the Rhode Island Army National Guards Company A, 1st Battalion, 182nd Infantry Regiment, negotiates an obstacle on the obstacle course at the Warrior Training Center at Fort Benning, Ga., Tuesday, April 5, 2016, while training to compete in the Best Ranger Competition. Moreno is one of eight Soldiers from throughout the Army Guard selected to take part in the upcoming competition, which tests Ranger-qualified Soldiers on a variety of tactical and technical tasks over a physically and mentally demanding course. Competitors from the Army Guard have been training at the WTC for the past several months in preparation for the competition.

030201-M-9578B-014. Base: Marine Corps Air Station,Iwakuni Country: Japan (JPN) Scene Major Command Shown: H & HS

1st Lt. John Greer (left) and 1st Lt. Nicholas Chatel from the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), takes on the Darby Queen in the Annual Best Ranger Competition in Fort Benning, Ga on April 8th 2022. The Darby Queen is an obstacle course that runs about a mile long. It challenges physical, mental and technical skills.

U.S. Marine Corps 2nd Lt. Steven Eckenberg, officer in charge of the Network Support Section, 1st Marine Logistics Group, and a native of Wheaton, Illinois, climbs over a wall during the 2022 Iron Mike Challenge at The Basic School on Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia, May 7, 2022. Competitors from across the Marine Corps covered a distance of 20 miles, completing multiple physical and core skills challenges along the way.

A U.S. Marine with Headquarters Battalion, 3d Marine Division passes an obstacle during Jungle Leaders course at Jungle Warfare Training Center, Okinawa, Japan, Aug. 10, 2022. The training is designed to test the physical and mental resilience of Marine Corps leaders in a harsh jungle environment.

CIOR competitor, Army Reserve Cpl. Thomas Doles, U.S. Army Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations Command (Airborne), pulls himself over a wall during a training exercise near Hammelburg, Germany on July 27, 2022. The Interallied Confederation of Reserve Officers Military Competition (CIOR MILCOMP) is a three-day team competition consisting of NATO and Partnership for Peace nations in Europe. It has been around since 1957. The competition is open to all reserve components for both NCO and officer. It is now run on a volunteer basis and funded by former competitors through an alumni association.

NAVAL SUPPORT ACTIVITY, Bahrain (March 31, 2022) - Marine Non-Commissioned Officers (NCO) assigned to Task Force 51/5th Marine Expeditionary Brigade (TF 51/5) conduct a combat conditioning physical training event aboard Naval Support Activity, Bahrain, March 31. The training was conducted to build camaraderie amongst the NCOs of TF 51/5 as well as test the physical readiness of the Marines.

U.S. service members participating in Appalachian Care Innovative Readiness Training (IRT) 2022 navigate an obstacle course while carry a simulated casualty on a litter during Tactical Combat Casualty Care training at Wise, Va., Aug. 19, 2022. IRT is a Department of Defense (DoD) military training opportunity, exclusive to the United States and its territories, that delivers joint training opportunities to increase deployment readiness. Simultaneously, IRT provides key services (health care, construction, transportation, and cybersecurity) with lasting benefits for our American communities.

U.S. service members conduct medical training during a Joint Emergency Medicine Exercise at Fort Hood, TX, on June 6, 2022. The training was accomplished from 06-10 June 2022 at the Fort Hood medical simulation training center for all graduating Tri-Service Emergency and Family Medicine residents and multiple medical occupational specialists within Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center, U.S. Army Regional Health Command-Central, U.S. Army Medical Command, and III Armored Corps.

U.S. Marine Corps Recruit Andrew Frohling, a recruit with Lima Company, 3rd Recruit Training Battalion, holds up a log during a log drill exercise at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego, Aug. 15, 2022. Recruits carried a 250 pound log, executing various exercises to strengthen their bodies, minds, and teamwork.

U.S. Army Spc. Cameryn Usher, assigned to the Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center, Fort Hood, Texas, crosses the horizontal ladder portion of the urban obstacle course of the 2022 Regional Health Command-Central Best Leader Competition in Fort Bliss, Texas, April 10, 2022. The urban obstacle course tested the physical strength and stamina of the competitors. The competition promotes esprit de corps throughout the Army while recognizing soldiers, noncommissioned officers, and officers who demonstrate commitment to the Army values and embody the warrior ethos. The competition challenges the Armys best leaders in a demanding, continuous, and realistic simulated operational environment.

SSG Robert Cordell navigates an obstacle at the leadership reaction course training area on Fort Rucker August 22, 2022 in preparation for the upcoming Army best squad competition in September. Photo by Jay Mann.

U.S. Marine Corps recruits with Fox Company, 2nd Recruit Training Battalion, low crawl on Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Jan. 26, 2022. These recruits were participating in the crucible; the 54-hour long culminating event of recruit training. The crucible challenges all the skills a recruit has acquired throughout their time in recruit training. Once recruits complete the crucible, they will have earned the title United States Marine. (U.S Marine Corps Photo by Sgt. Christopher Madero)

Recruits with Fox Company, 2nd Recruit Training Battalion, conduct the Crucible on Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, S.C., Feb. 22, 2024. The Crucible is a 54-hour culminating event in which the previous 11 weeks of training are put to the test. Marine Corps

U.S. Army Pfc. David Thomson, a public affairs specialist with the 109th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment, 213th Regional Support Group, completes an obstacle course during the units annual training period, July 16, 2022 at Fort Indiantown Gap, Pennsylvania.

Airman 1st Class Luke Rudebeck, a Peoria, Illinois, native and member of the 169th Air Support Operations Squadron, Illinois Air National Guard, jumps and waves his hands in the air as he tests the durability of his equipment during a Master Rappel course at Camp Dodge in Johnston, Iowa, on Sept. 14, 2022. Nearly 30 Soldiers and Airmen participated in the course, which was hosted by a mobile training team from the Army National Guard Warrior Training Center based out of Fort Benning, Georgia.

Senior Airman Raymond Martinez Pacheco, member of the 147th Attack Wing, emerges from water during the 2018 Texas Military Department Best Warrior Competition on March 3, 2018, at Camp Swift in Bastrop, Tx. The Best Warrior Competition brings together the best junior enlisted and noncommissioned officers from the Texas Air and Army National Guards to compete for the prestigious title.

011204-F-7910D-006. Base: Shaw Air Force Base State: South Carolina (SC) Country: United States Of America (USA) Scene Major Command Shown: Air Combat Command

040801-M-2306K-027. Subject Operation/Series: OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM II Base: Fob Echo Country: Iraq (IRQ)

Army ROTC Cadets from Pacific Lutheran University compete in the One-Rope Bridge event on February 10 at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wa. Army ROTC Cadets from the northern portion of 8TH Brigade Army ROTC competed in the Task Force North Ranger Challenge February 9-10. The winners of 8th Brigades Task Force North and South Ranger Challenges will go on to represent the 8th Brigade Vikings at the Sandhurst Military Skills Competition held at the United States Military Academy in April. | U.S. Army

Sergeat 1st Class Jason Pate, 68W Combat Medic, 232nd Medical Battalion, negotiates obstacles to test his physical capabilities during the Best Medic Competition, Sep. 29, 2022 at Joint Base San Antonio-Camp Bullis, Tx. The 72-hour competition included a physical fitness test, obstacle course, combat water survival test, day and night land navigation, combat trauma lanes, a M4 rifle and 9mm pistol stress shoot and a 5K buddy run. Day three concluded with a 12-mile foot march and awards ceremony.

U.S. Army Reserve Spc. Artur Potas, representing the 807th Medical Command (Deployment Support), slides down a rope at the confidence course as part of the U.S. Army Reserve Best Squad Competition at Fort McCoy, Wisconsin on May 15, 2022. Approximately 40 Soldiers from across the nation traveled to Fort McCoy to compete in the 2022 U.S. Best Warrior Best Squad Competition from May 14-21, 2022. The 2022 BWSC is an annual competition that brings together the best Soldiers and squads from across the U.S. Army Reserve to earn the title of Best Warrior and Best Squad among their peers. Competitors are evaluated on their individual and collective ability to adapt to and overcome challenging scenarios and battle-focused events that test their technical and tactical abilities under stress and extreme fatigue.

U.S. Marines with Battalion Landing Team (BLT) 2/5, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), set security during a boat sustainment enabler integration exercise at Kin Blue, Okinawa, Japan, June 8, 2022. This exercise was to integrate enablers into the BLT and teach them the foundations of using the combat rubber raiding crafts. The 31st MEU, the Marine Corps' only continuously forward-deployed MEU, provides a flexible and lethal force ready to perform a wide range of military operations as the premiere crisis response force in the Indo-Pacific region.

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Mark D. Jarrett, assigned to the 130th Air Wing, participates in the obstacle course for the West Virginia National Guard Best Warrior Competition at Camp Dawson in Kingwood, West Virginia on April 22, 2022. The obstacle course is only one of the many tasks included in the Range Run event. ( West Virginia National Guard photo by Spc. Grace Carpenter)

Staff Sgt. Derek Weiser, 96th Security Forces Squadron, low-crawls through mud during part of the Defender Challenge event May 17 at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. Teams competed in various timed challenges related to the security forces experience. The Challenge was part the 96th Security Forces Squadrons Police Week activities. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

Recruits try to maintain their balance while crossing a log bridge on the obstacle course during basic training at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot. Base: Usmc Recruit Depot,Parris Island State: South Carolina (SC) Country: United States Of America (USA)

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (May 17, 2022) U.S. Naval Academy Midshipmen participate in Sea Trials. Sea Trials is a capstone event for fourth class midshipmen, modeled after the Marine Corps' Crucible and the Navy's Battle Stations. As the undergraduate college of our country's naval service, the Naval Academy prepares young men and women to become professional officers of competence, character, and compassion in the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps.

U.S. Marine Corps recruits with Lima Company, 3rd Recruit Training Battalion, carry a log during a log drill exercise at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego, Aug. 15, 2022. Recruits carried a 250 pound log, executing various exercises to strengthen their bodies, minds, and teamwork.

Rct. Andrew Hoesel, Platoon 1084, Bravo Company, 1st Recruit Training Battalion, leads his team of recruits Oct. 24, 2013, during the Crucible at the combat training area on Parris Island, S.C. During this 54-hour culminating event, recruits such as Hoesel, an 18-year-old native of Depew, N.Y., must demonstrate that they have embraced the Marine Corps core values of honor, courage and commitment and the essence of their warrior ethos. Bravo Company is scheduled to graduate Nov. 1, 2013. Parris Island has been the site of Marine Corps recruit training since Nov. 1, 1915. Today, approximately 20,000 recruits come to Parris Island annually for the chance to become United States Marines by enduring 13 weeks of rigorous, transformative training. Parris Island is home to entry-level enlisted training for 50 percent of males and 100 percent of females in the Marine Corps.

Cadets from South Carolina high school Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps programs complete various teambuilding tasks that mimic skills learned during Basic Combat Training during a summer leadership challenge held at Fort Jackson from June 5-11, 2022. Cadets honed their leadership skills, learned about their value to the program and strengthened communication and problem-solving skills.

Texas Army National Guard Spc. Dylan Waite, 1st Battalion, 143rd Infantry Regiment, 36th Infantry Division, navigates the High Step Over during the Texas Military Departments Best Warrior Competition at Fort Hood on Mar. 30, 2023. The annual competition strengthens ties and fosters institutional relationships encompassing 95 partner nations.

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Recruits from India Company, 3rd Recruit Training Battalion, participate in pugil stick bouts aboard Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, S.C. Jan. 7, 2022. The crucible is a culmination of all the recruits' previous training.

Staff Sgt. Derrick Jones, a counterintelligence agent with the 20th Military Intelligence Company, 20th Special Forces Group, jogs towards the finish line during the Norwegian Foot March in the Region 3 Army National Guard Best Warrior Competition held at Camp Blanding Joint Training Center, FL, on May 13, 2022. (U.S. Army National Guard photo Spc. Mathias Gentry.)

Recruits with Kilo Company, 3rd Recruit Training Battalion, execute tan belt techniques as part of the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program on Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, S.C., Jan. 31, 2024. During recruit training, recruits are taught and must master basic assault and defense techniques to earn their tan belt through MCMAP.

Staff Sgt. Lee Busch, combat response force member, 341st Missile Security Operation Squadron, waves as he hangs upside down from his rappelling rope on Jan. 25, 2022, at the Cheyenne Fire Tower, Cheyenne, Wyoming. Defenders from the 341st Missile Wing, 90th Missile Wing, and 91st Missile Wing attended a rappelling course on F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming, to learn new rappelling guidance and get certified in techniques such as knot tying, inspections, tower hookups and safety. (U.S. Air Force Photo by Airman Sarah Post)

Sgt. William Loughran encourages recruits from Kilo Company, 3rd Recruit Training Battalion, to give 100 percent during physical training at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, S.C., Sept. 18, 2013. Loughran joined the Corps in 2004 and became a drill instructor in 2012. [Being a drill instructor is the most demanding duty … yet probably the most rewarding thing I have ever done,” Loughran said. About 600 Marine Corps drill instructors train about 20,000 recruits who come to Parris Island annually.

A U.S. Army Paratrooper assigned to the 173rd Airborne Brigade low crawls during the week-long training as part of the Expert Infantryman Badge, Expert Soldier Badge and Expert Field Medical Badge training at Caserma Del Din, Vicenza, Italy, Oct 28, 2022. Soldiers must complete a number of prerequisites and pass a battery of graded tests on basic Infantry skills. The purpose of this training is to build confidence and competence within our formations on basic Soldier skills and tactics, and help sustain the Army's role as an organization of lethal, disciplined and professional soldiers. The 173rd Airborne Brigade is the U.S. Army Contingency Response Force in Europe, capable of projecting ready forces anywhere in the U.S. European, Africa or Central Commands' areas of responsibility.

U.S. Marine Corps 2nd Lt. Seung Choi with Officer Selection Team San Diego, demonstrates how to maneuver an obstacle during an Officer Candidates School preparation weekend at Edson Range, Camp Pendleton, California on April 30, 2022. The OCS preparation weekend is designed to prepare aspiring Marine Corps officers mentally and physically for the rigors of OCS.

A group of Airmen assigned to the 1st Special Operations Mission Support Group assemble a tent during a Mission Sustainment Team exercise at Austere Field #6, Florida, Sept. 12, 2022. Tents serve a critical role in rapid deployment environments, providing immediate shelter to all members of the MST.

Staff Sergeant Caleb M. Stinson, 232nd Medical Battalion Combat Medic Specialist Program (CMSTP) Instructor,climbs up the Reverse Climb obstacle during the best medic competition, Sep. 29, 2022 at Joint Base San Antonio-Camp Bullis, Tx. The event included the Army Combat Fitness Test, obstacle course, M-4 qualification, warrior tasks and battle drills, land navigation, a Tactical Combat Casualty Care assessment and 12-Mile Ruck March.

A U.S. Air Force Special Tactics operator assigned to the 24th Special Operations Wing, Hurlburt Field, Florida, performs triage during a mass-casualty scenario during exercise Emerald Warrior 22.1 at Smyrna, Tennessee, May 8, 2022. Emerald Warrior is the largest joint special operations exercise involving U.S. Special Operations Command forces training for response to various threats above and below the threshold of armed conflict.

U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Jonathan Alejos, an automotive maintenance technician with III Marine Expeditionary Force Support Battalion, III Marine Expeditionary Force Information Group, maneuvers down the log walk in an obstacle course event during a field meet on Camp Hansen, Okinawa, Japan, Sept. 16, 2022. Units with III MIG competed against each other in various athletic events during a field meet for the commanders cup. III MIG functions as the vanguard of III MEF, operating in the Indo-Pacific regions information environment, and supports Marine Air-Ground Task Force operations with communications, intelligence, and supporting arms liaison capabilities.

U.S. Army Sgt. Spencer Fayles, a combat medic with the 144th Area Support Medical Company, representing the Utah National Guard in the All Guard National Best Warrior Competition, sprints between stations during a stress-shoot event in Tullahoma, Tennessee, July 26, 2022. Fourteen of the nations best National Guard junior enlisted Soldiers and noncommissioned officers participate in an intensive, six-day competition throughout Tennessee to determine who will be named the Army National Guard's best-of-the-best.

U.S. Army Sgt. Ethan Pickelsimer, a Wisconsin native and combat engineer explosive ordinance clearance agent, with 588th Brigade Engineer Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, confirms the discovery of an inert anti-tank mine during a platoon live fire and route clearance training at Trzebien, Poland, Sept. 1, 2022. The 3/4th ABCT is among other units assigned to 1st Infantry Division, proudly working alongside NATO allies and regional security partners to provide combat-credible forces to V Corps, America's forward-deployed corps in Europe.

040717-M-3717S-002. Base: Marine Corps Base, Camp Fuji State: Honshu Country: Japan (JPN) Scene Major Command Shown: 4th Marines

Suspended over a water hazard, recruits from Flight W141, 3743rd Basic Military Training Squadron, pull themselves along a rope on the confidence course. Base: Lackland Air Force Base State: Texas (TX) Country: United States Of America (USA)

U.S Marine Corps Capt. David Garza the commanding officer for Lima Company, 3rd Recruit Training Battalion, demonstrates how to complete an obstacle to a recruit on Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego, April 8, 2022. The "O-Course" is comprised of various obstacles and is designed to instill confidence in recruits by overcoming physical challenges.

A U.S. Soldier assigned to Bull Troop, 1st Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment, conquers the rope bridge at the 7th Army Training Command's Grafenwoehr obstacle course, Germany, June 28, 2022. The training at the obstacle course is designed to improve physical fitness and build teamwork.

A U.S. Soldier assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 522nd Military Intelligence Battalion, 207th Military Intelligence Brigadeclimbs and clears the Jump and Land obstacle for Lightning Focus 23 at the Grafenwoehr Training Area, Germany, Jan. 24, 2023. Lightning Focus 2023 provides an opportunity for increasing individual &crew weapons proficiency, training on Basic Soldier Skills, junior Soldier and NCO development, improving unit cohesion & team-building, and scenario-based operational intelligence support training to certify intelligence platforms; building readiness in support of SETAF-AF, USAREUR-AF and USAFRICOM.

Sgt. Derek Czerniak, a soldier serving on Camp Taji, Iraq, with the Enhanced Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, crawls under a barbed wire obstacle, Nov. 7, during Demon Fury, a competition designed to test the full spectrum of soldiers' combat skills.

Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1-153 Infantry Regiment Reconnaissance Soldiers conducted rappel operations at Fort Bliss, TX on January 18, 2017. Several individuals within the company have the certifications to be Rappel Masters. These certifications must be renewed every six months. Rappel Master Instructor Staff Sergeant Benjamin Horn certified the Soldiers.

A U.S. Airman with the 627th Security Forces Squadron participates in a five-mile ruck in honor of National Police Week at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, May 19, 2022. Police Week consisted of various events such as an opening ceremony, a shooting competition and a five-mile ruck for military police and defenders.

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras - A member from Paraguays elite forces team attacks the cinder blocks lift and carry segment of the Assaulter Individual Stress competition of Fuerzas Comando 2022 (FC22) where the combatant has to transport two cinder blocks weighing approximately eighty pounds each. FC22 is being conducted June 13-23 near Tegucigalpa, Honduras. FC22 is a foreign military interaction exercise designed to enhance multinational and regional cooperation, mutual trust and confidence, and to improve the training, readiness, interoperability, and capability of regional Special Operations Forces.

Greywolf Trooper assigned to 1st Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, throws a hand grenade during a qualification course, Nov. 10, 2022. This training ensures the unit's readiness in order to provide combat-credible forces in partnership with NATO Allies and regional security partners.

The Week of the Warrior is in full swing, as competitors from the 2nd Infantry Division/ROK-U.S. Combined Division complete the challenges presented to them on the second day of the competition, May 3, 2022, on Camp Casey, Republic of Korea. The Soldiers participated in a combat run, confidence course, stress shoot, and a M4 familiarization qualification.

Tech. Sgt. Eric Dagin pulls himself across a rope obstacle March 3, 2015, at the Hillsborough County SheriffÕs Office firearms training center in Lithia, Fla. Dagin is a Joint Communications Support Element (JCSE) cyber transport craftsman. Members of the JCSE completed the obstacle course before the stress fire portion of Warrior Spirit Õ15.

U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. -- Basic cadets from the Class of 2026 complete the assault course at the U.S. Air Force Academy's Jacks Valley in Colorado Springs, Colo., July 15, 2022. Basic Cadet Training is a six-week indoctrination program to guide the transformation of new cadets from being civilians to military academy cadets prepared to enter a four-year officer commissioning program. (U.S. Air Force photo/Joshua Armstrong)

Soldiers of the 1st Theater Sustainment Command, prepare to navigate through an obstacle course during Blackjack Time Training on Fort Knox, Kentucky, April 28, 2022. Blackjack Time Training is conducted every Thursday to increase readiness and build esprit de corps.

U.S. Marine Corps recruits with Delta Company, 1st Recruit Training Battalion, execute a low crawl during the combat conditioning course at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego, Jan. 3, 2024. The combat conditioning course was designed to increase recruits stamina and ability to perform Marine Corps Martial Arts Program techniques.

Staff Sgt. Caleb Stinson, 68W Combat Medic, 232nd Medical Battalion, negotiates obstacles to test his physical capabilities during the Best Medic Competition, Sep. 29, 2022 at Joint Base San Antonio-Camp Bullis, Tx. The event included the Army Combat Fitness Test, warrior training, obstacle course, M-16 qualification, warrior tasks and battle drills, day and night land navigation, a Tactical Combat Casualty Care assessment and 20-kilometer foot march.

U.S. Air Force Academy basic cadet trainee Katherine Dials traverses the confidence course in the Jacks Valley training area Tuesday, July 15 during the field training portion of basic training.

US Air Force STAFF Sergeant Christopher Titus from the 343nd Training Squadron, Lackland Air Force Base, goes head to head with other competitors on the obstacle course run. This event is part of DEFENDER CHALLENGE 2000. Subject Operation/Series: DEFENDER CHALLENGE 2000 Base: Lackland Air Force Base State: Texas (TX) Country: United States Of America (USA)

Spc. Alexander Gravely, a combat medic with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1-201st Field Artillery Battalion, West Virginia Army National Guard, throws a grenade during the Situational Training Exercise lane at the 2021 Army National Guard Best Warrior Competition at Camp Navajo Military Reservation, Arizona, July 21, 2021. The competition spans three physically and mentally demanding days where competitors are tested on a variety of tactical and technical skills as they vie to be named the Army Guards Soldier and Noncommissioned Officer of the Year. The winners then represent the Army Guard in the Department of the Army Best Warrior Competition later this year

U.S. Air Force Tactical Air Control Party specialists from the 18th Air Support Operations Group compete in Dragon Challenge 2022 at Pope Army Airfield, North Carolina. The annual competition is designed to identify the best Joint Terminal Attack Controller teams within the group by testing the competitors steadfast physical, technical, tactical, and field-knowledge skills under mocked combat conditions.

U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. -- Basic cadets from the Class of 2026 complete the obstacle course at the U.S. Air Force Academy's Jacks Valley in Colorado Springs, Colo., July 15, 2022. Basic Cadet Training is a six-week indoctrination program to guide the transformation of new cadets from being civilians to military academy cadets prepared to enter a four-year officer commissioning program. (U.S. Air Force photo/Joshua Armstrong)

Gunners Mate Chief Scottin Platero, assigned to the aircraft carrier, Pre-Commissioning Unit (PCU) John F. Kennedy (CVN 79), volunteers at Newport News Park in honor of Earth Day. Sailors assigned to John F. Kennedy routinely volunteer within the local community. John F. Kennedy, the second Ford-class aircraft carrier, is under construction at HIIs Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS) division.

U.S. Marine Corps Capt. Chris Cordova, commander, Fox Company, Marine Combat Training Battalion, School of Infantry East, a native of San Bernardino, California, climbs a rope during the 2022 Iron Mike Challenge on Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia, May 7, 2022. Competitors from across the Marine Corps were given 12 hours to complete the over 20 mile course, which culminated the use of core skills with multiple physical challenges.

U.S. Marine Corps Capt. Joseph Bishop, an Austin, Texas, native and infantry officer with 2d Marine Division, slides down a pole during a leader's reaction course as part of the Division Leader Assessment Program 4-22 on Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia, Sept. 13, 2022. The assessment program provides Marines with learning and mentorship opportunities, which helps train and develop Marines that demonstrate an apex level of lethality, endurance and comprehensive warfighting ability.

U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Daveben Gurion, a Marine Air Ground Taskforce planner with U.S. Marine Corps Forces Korea, crosses a single-rope bridge during a ropes course with 3D Sustainment Group (Experimental), 3D Marine Logistics Group and Republic of Korea Marine Corps Ranger School in Pohang, South Korea, Jan. 27, 2022. The course increased the Marines readiness with rappelling and rope work while improving interoperability with our partners and allies. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Ash McLaughlin)

Army Reserve Spc. Hallie Koches, assigned to the 78th Army Band, preforms the Three Rope Bridge obstacle on the Confidence Course during the Army Reserve Best Squad Competition, at Fort McCoy, Wisconsin, on May 15, 2022. Approximately 40 soldiers from across the nation traveled to Fort McCoy, Wisconsin, to compete in the 2022 U.S. Best Squad Competition from May 14-21, 2022 BWBSC is an annual competition that brings together the best Soldiers and squads from across the U.S. Army Reserve to earn the title of Best Warrior and Best Squad among their peers. Competitors are evaluated on their individual and collective ability to adapt to and overcome challenging scenarios and battle-focus events that test their technical and tactical abilities under stress and extreme fatigue.

U.S. Soldiers assigned to Bull Troop, 1st Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment, negotiate the weaver obstacle at the Grafenwoehr Training Area, Germany, Aug. 18, 2022. The troop conducted training at the obstacle course for familiarization and to build esprit de corps.

Recruits with Delta Company, 1st Recruit Training Battalion, complete the Crucible aboard Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, S.C. on March 31, 2022. The Crucible serves as the culminating event of Recruit Training and is the final obstacle before recruits earn the title United States Marine.

Spc. Jose Caro, a Wapello, Iowa, native and combat engineer assigned to Company A, 224th Brigade Engineer Battalion, Iowa Army National Guard, rappels down a 60-foot tower during an Air Assault course hosted at Camp Dodge in Johnston, Iowa, on Sept. 6, 2022. Over 200 Soldiers and Airmen participated in a 12-day U.S. Army Air Assault course held at Camp Dodge, which trains service members in sling load operations and rappelling. The students practiced rappelling and belaying on the tower. Cadre from the Army National Guard Warrior Training Center at Fort Benning, Georgia, traveled as a mobile training team to teach the course.

Gunnery Sgt. Jonathan Falk, the logistics chief for the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit (26th MEU), conducts the maneuver-under-fire portion of the Combat Fitness test, during a field meet at Camp Lejeune, N.C. June 29, 2022. The field meet was hosted to build unit cohesion and camaraderie. Other events included a tug of war, vehicle push, combat fitness test relay, kayak race, and volleyball. The physical activities were followed by a family day.

U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Steven Cope, 627th Security Forces Squadron combat arms instructor, scores a target at the firing range during Police Week at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, May 18, 2022. Police Week is an observance in the United States that pays tribute to the local, state, and federal peace officers who have died, or who have been disabled, in the line of duty.

U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. -- Basic Cadets from the Class of 2026 complete the assault course at the U.S. Air Force Academy's Jacks Valley in Colorado Springs, Colo., on July 12, 2022. Basic Cadet Training (BCT) is a six-week indoctrination program to guide the transformation of new cadets from being civilians to military academy cadets prepared to enter a four-year officer commissioning program. (U.S. Air Force photo/Trevor Cokley)

A U.S. Army Soldiers with the New Jersey National Guard takes part in the Best Warrior Competition on Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey, April 20, 2022.

U.S. Army Sgt. Carlos Cardona, assigned to the United States Army Garrison Ansbach, climbs the Confidence Climb obstacle during an obstacle course for the Installation Management Command-Europe Best Warrior competition at the Grafenwoehr Training Area, April 3, 2023. The competition enhances expertise, training, and understanding of the skills needed to be a well-rounded Soldier. Winners will go on to compete at the Installation Management Command level.

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