More from: "My Time in Service:"
I posted just a bit ago about a really tough sand dune hike. Physically one of the most demanding things I have ever read about. And that brought back a couple of memories and some thoughts.
Civilians copy a lot of our training methods. Zip Lines, for example are just the Civilian equivalent of the old "Slide for life" we did in training. But with more safety stuff.
"Boot Camp" physical fitness routines popped up at gyms all over America. Some with Actual retired DI"s to push them.
More recently..."Rucking" has morphed into the Civilian lexicon as an "Outdoor Sport!"
So imagine my surprise to find out that "mud obstacle courses" are now offered at Civilian sites. I have done several in my Army Career. Ranging from..."boy am I tired"mud courses, to : "I can't move another step." And I saw a 100 meter mud pit, at Ft. Leavenworth ...used to "reeducate" troops to become better soldiers. And that mud was three feet deep...and you had to carry a full can of fifty caliber ammo - in each hand. Those poor guys had to do it several times...and even once could put them into physical exhaustion and shock.
I did a similar fifty meter mud pit - only carrying parts of an 81 mm mortar...and it was horrifyingly hard. And the second time through ...and you were through. '
And it was all based on what you guys in Nam went through. Wading through mud with seventy pounds of gear on. It wasn't an obstacle course for you guy...it was an every day part of your duty.
Back in the states, it was used as both punishment and training. For you guys, the course didn't end at fifty meters, or even a hundred. And you had the enemy to contend with ...or the fear of having to contend with the enemy while you were just trying to get to dry land.
One of the many reason so many of us respect you for just doing your duty.
But Civilians are choosing to do "mud courses" for...FUN. And they found out just what we did...it isn't.