SFS use strength, endurance to build team

  • Published
  • By Sharon Hamric
  • 22nd Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
MCCHORD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. --  The trio lugging the litter rounded the bend a few steps behind Senior Airman Nathan Shelley. Just 100 meters ahead a rope of flags marked the finish line for Security Forces Endurance Competition at the Air Mobility Command RODEO 2009.
 
Airman Shelley, beet-faced, puffy and panting hard, pressed on, dragging his boots toward the downhill finish. Seeing he was spent, his teammates relieved Airman Shelley of his corner of the litter and shoved him out to run solo. 

Toting the front of the litter, Airman 1st Class Eric "Seabiscuit" Hargarten and Staff Sgt. Ryan "Cash" Overcash moved steadily through the dust, their wide shoulders rocking rhythmically like monuments atop ball bearings. In the rear, Staff Sgt. Ben Rausch, solid and sure footed, gripped both corners and fought through the pain. 

It was decision time again for Sergeant Overcash, the team leader. Without breaking cadence, he handed his corner off to Seabiscuit and moved to the rear to relieve Rausch, who stepped out to pace and prod Airman Shelley. The weary Airman had given his all, mentally and physically, to conquer 18 obstacles, fieldstrip an M-4 rifle, calculate a firing range and finish with a 1.5 mile run. 

It was Sergeant Overcash who, wordlessly, lifted Airman Shelley over the high wall when he faltered. It was Sergeant Overcash again who held back when Airman Shelley toppled off a balancing beam of tree trunks and had to start over. When Airman Shelley lost his momentum and looked as though he would drop from the extended overhead bars, Sergeant Overcash stayed beside his teammate to remind Airman Shelley of how much they believed in him. 

Just 27 days earlier, Airman Shelley had been lolling in bed on a Sunday morning when Sergeant Rausch, his former supervisor, called to see if he was coming to work that day. Airman Shelley, a newlywed, had returned the day before from leave in California. He'd counted on enjoying his last day off before going in on Monday. 

"I'd heard that I'd been assigned as the fourth man on a Security Forces team that was going to RODEO," remembered Airman Shelley, a Reservist with the 931st Air Refueling Group. "I had no idea what that meant. I just figured we were going somewhere to work security." 

He was stunned to learn this team would represent Team McConnell in combat tactics, weapons, fitness and endurance contests at the Air Mobility Command RODEO, an international competition that focuses on improving the skills and interaction of air mobility professionals. 

"Right away, when I started working out with these guys, I could see they were the elites," said Airman Shelley. "They run five or six miles. I'm the old man of the group, 28 and a little fat. I'm just average. When I do run, it's only a mile and a half because that's what the PT test requires. And, I smoked. 

"I told them they needed to get rid of me and find someone else. I felt bad because I knew I was going to hold them back. But they said 'no way, man.'" 

Sergeant Overcash put it bluntly. No quitters. 

"Be here," he told Airman Shelley. "You're gonna work, you're gonna work hard and we are going to go out there and compete." 

Airman Shelley promised Cash, Seabiscuit and Sergeant Rausch that he would push himself to earn his spot. Cash told him he'd have the chance to prove himself when the team got to RODEO. 

He showed up ready to go for twice a day workouts. 

Quit smoking. Cold turkey. 

He switched from soda-pop to water, cut out junk food and dropped ten pounds in two weeks. 

"I always knew he had the heart," said Sergeant Rausch. "My big concern was whether we had time to get him prepared. This really wasn't his fault. " 

When spirits, abs and legs faltered, Sergeant Overcash reminded his team how privileged they were to be getting paid to work out, practice firing and represent Team McConnell. Training time was short, but would they rather be checking IDs at the gate or working at their desks? 

The answer was unanimous. 

"We really were caught off guard by the tactics competition - the informant being taken hostage in a village - but we came in third out of 28 teams in the weapons contest," the team leader boasted. "Besides myself, none of the team had ever done an endurance contest or obstacle course before. I was really surprised and proud of the way they all pulled together." 

Airman Hargarten, dubbed Seabiscuit because of his swift bobbing during the push-up competition, finished seventh overall out of 140 competitors. He did 91 pushups in one minute, which placed him among the top three individuals in that contest. 

"We learned a lot and I'm so glad we went," said Airman Hargarten. "It really means a lot when you work so hard to help one another. We really came together." 

Sergeant Rausch said the team grew closer as they all rallied to help Airman Shelley intensify his training and fitness level. 

"It really forced us to work more closely as a team to figure out who could do what," he said. "We knew he gave it everything he had. It was great to have the civic leaders there cheering for us, too, and yelling for him to hang on. Shelley knew we were behind him and wouldn't let him give up. We finished together and that's what it's all about."