SCHOFIELD BARRACKS, HAWAII -- Airmen and Soldiers from across the globe recently converged on the island of Oahu to participate in the second-annual Cascade Challenge, held Sept. 9 - 11 at Schofield Barracks.
The Cascade Challenge pitted nine teams of two service members in a competition to test their combat skills, knowledge, and abilities specific to the Tactical Air Control Party mission. The teams consisted of Airmen and Soldiers from the 25th Air Support Operations Squadron (Wheeler Army Air Field, HI) ; 3rd ASOS (JB Elmendorf-Richardson, AK) ; 5th ASOS (JB Lewis-McChord), U.S. Air Force 1st Weather Squadron and U.S. Army 1st Special Forces Group (JB Lewis-McChord),
The challenge required the participants to complete and pass a total of 22 mental and physical challenges over a three-day period.
"This 72-hour event challenges the best of the best from the Air Force and Army," said Lt. Col. Russell J. Hall, 25th ASOS commander. "Competition breeds excellence and this competition is a perfect example of how capable our controllers truly are."
A few of the challenges the controllers had to overcome included equipment and ruck layouts, special forces physical training tests, the Marine Corps combat fitness test, an obstacle course and a M9 and M4 weapons assembly challenge.
According to Lt. Col. Hall, one of the more difficult challenges was the live-fire stress shoot, which provided the participants a limited amount of time to 'zero-in' the sights on their weapons. The controllers then had to hit a series of static and moving targets without hitting 'friendly' or 'non-combative' targets.
Some of the mental challenges the controllers had to overcome included; tests on Joint Tactical Air Strike request procedures, a medical evacuation practical exercise, a close-air support practical exercise, a radio-skills exercise, map and compass reading exercise, threat visual recognition test, and emergency antennae construction.
After the series of mental and physical challenges, one team stood above the rest. The team included members from the 25th ASOS -1st Lt. Dylan Hallums and Tech. Sgt. Jarred Fischer. This marks the second consecutive Cascade Challenge victory for Fischer, as he won the inaugural challenge last year at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, located in Washington State.
"The major difference between last year's challenge and this year was maintaining the physical capacity to complete any task that came up," said. Fischer. "Hawaii's heat, humidity, and terrain drained all of your energy and made it harder to complete those tasks."
Fischer said it is always rewarding to finish a field exercise and know he has the knowledge and technical expertise to perform and excel in combat situations. In addition, he said meeting new controllers within his field and going through the same exercises together helps build bonds which will help them if they are working together in the future.
The two-time Cascade Challenge champion said although he might be working with some of the participants in the future, he will still remain competitive and strive for a perfect record in future Cascade Challenges.
"If I am participating in future challenges, I most definitely plan to perform at my best," said Fischer. "More than likely, I will be helping to train the team that will win the Cascade Challenge."