Cavalry Soldiers earn their spurs
More the 40 Soldiers from the Portsmouth-based 2nd Squadron, 183rd Cavalry, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team earn the right to wear cavalry spurs at special unit gatherings after completing a Spur Ride June 19-20, 2013, at Fort Pickett. The Spur Ride is a team building event that mixes cavalry traditions with Soldier skills and the Warrior Ethos in order to build esprit de corps with in the unit. To qualify for the Spur Ride, Soldiers must complete a number of tasks based on their rank to demonstrate proficiency in their job and be nominated by a spur holder who has mentored them through the process. The Spur Ride itself begins early in the morning with physical training and tactical movement through the woods, followed by several stations that test the decision-making ability of the candidates while in a time constrained and stressful environment. After a combatives tournament, the spur candidates conducted mounted land navigation late into the night to five different stations to test the basic skills of a Cavalry Soldier including first aid, vehicle recovery, advanced optics and communications, weapons disassembly and assembly and completion of the Air Assault Obstacle Course. (Photo by Cotton Puryear, Virginia National Guard Public Affairs)
Cavalry Soldiers earn their spurs
More the 40 Soldiers from the Portsmouth-based 2nd Squadron, 183rd Cavalry, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team earn the right to wear cavalry spurs at special unit gatherings after completing a Spur Ride June 19-20, 2013, at Fort Pickett. The Spur Ride is a team building event that mixes cavalry traditions with Soldier skills and the Warrior Ethos in order to build esprit de corps with in the unit. To qualify for the Spur Ride, Soldiers must complete a number of tasks based on their rank to demonstrate proficiency in their job and be nominated by a spur holder who has mentored them through the process. The Spur Ride itself begins early in the morning with physical training and tactical movement through the woods, followed by several stations that test the decision-making ability of the candidates while in a time constrained and stressful environment. After a combatives tournament, the spur candidates conducted mounted land navigation late into the night to five different stations to test the basic skills of a Cavalry Soldier including first aid, vehicle recovery, advanced optics and communications, weapons disassembly and assembly and completion of the Air Assault Obstacle Course. (Photo by Cotton Puryear, Virginia National Guard Public Affairs)