1/10 winter training

[SF_BHT]

Just ran into an interesting article on 1/10 SFG ref their current Winter training on Monarch Mtn. Listen to the Radio report it was a nice report on the BN training.

Spending a week skiing might sound like recreation to some, but for the Army’s 10th Special Forces Group, it’s a critical part of their work. Based out of Fort Carson, they’re high altitude-cold weather specialists. Like the legendary 10th Mountain Division troops who pioneered winter warfare during World War II, the 10th Special Forces Group has to be ready to conduct military operations in heavy snow or on a steep mountainside.

So recently, a few hundred Special Forces soldiers headed up to train at Monarch Mountain near Salida. It’s the first battalion level cold weather training they’ve had in years and the soldiers only have five days on the slopes to get competent, regardless of their ski experience. Reporter Shanna Lewis grabbed her skis and headed out to the slopes to file this report.

[Stras]

This is either 3/10 or 2/10 that got to go skiing.. it's probably 3/10 since they usually hang out at Monarch. 2/10 has more expensive taste and hangs out at Keystone.

[mffjm8509]

Not this year Bill......WET on the CHEAP. No condos, no mountain money, no Parrot Eyes......

We stayed in tents at the fairgrounds in Salida and bussed up the hill to Monarch every day.

Good thing I spent Christmas at Keystone!

[longrange1947]

Shades of Cannon Mountain, NH and living in tents in the park at the base.

[Razor]

Originally Posted by mffjm8509

We stayed in tents at the fairgrounds in Salida and bussed up the hill to Monarch every day.

You guys should have driven a bit further west and hung out at Crested Butte instead. At least they have a few nice, warm bars downtown (and free shuttle busses to and from the slopes) to use as warming huts.

[mffjm8509]

Originally Posted by Razor

You guys should have driven a bit further west and hung out at Crested Butte instead. At least they have a few nice, warm bars downtown (and free shuttle busses to and from the slopes) to use as warming huts.

Out of the question with the budget we were given this year.

Tents and transportation were provided by a local unit, fairgrounds were free as long as we took the boys into town every night, blue bird busses took us up the hill every morning. An MKT cooked breakfast and dinner and LRRPs were issued for lunch. The 1SG came at lunch with hot soup and coffee. At first glance, most of you would think that this isnt too bad of a set up but those of you with time in 10th Group can relate to how this was compared to how we normally conduct our down hill training.

The excess cash saved went into buying new sleds, stoves, and miscellaneous cold weather team gear that hasn't been replenished since around 2003.

By the way.....at the same time we were living in tents in Salida, 3rd Group was staying in condos and skiing Keystone AND the 10th Group CED was at Keystone assisting in 3rd Groups training.....go figure.

[Richard]

Hmmm...1/10th WET in my time started with a parachute jump into mountain pastures near Bad Reichenhall with all of our equipment (including skis, poles, and bear paws), followed by a tactical mountain movement back to Bad Tolz. A fun-filled two weeks. And lodges? What lodges?

Richard's $.02