JOINT BASE CHARELESTON, SC – Airmen from the 1st Combat Camera Squadron (1CTCS) participated in a ruck march on Feb. 12, 2020 in preparation for Exercise, Scorpion Lens which will take place Feb. 24, 2020 – Feb. 28, 2020.
Airmen marched a total of 3 miles this morning while wearing weighted vests and helmets. The Airmen also carried weighted ruck sacks and “dummy” M-16 rifles, simulating a full combat load.
The route began at the Airmen Leadership School (ALS) flag pole and continued to McCombs Way, completing one loop and ending back at the ALS flagpole.
“It is meant to give Airmen an opportunity to practice executing their mission in a controlled learning environment,” Lt. Col. Tony Wickman explained. This is the second phase of the exercise and is considered the “run” phase of Scorpion Lens, a bi-annual exercise.
This is the 2nd ruck march in preparation for the exercise Scorpion Lens. The exercise will take place at McGrady Training Center in Eastover S.C. “Ruck marches are always a challenge, but they build comradery and help lift morale.” said Senior Airman Hannah Strobel. “The difficult times are what brings us all together”
“During a deployment, ComCam Airmen will be carrying a heavy load,” said Tech. Sgt. Daniel Asselta, a combat broadcast journalist with 1CTCS. “On top of your standard combat load to include vest, brain bucket, (combat helmet) rifle, ammo, rucksack, and hydration systems, we also bring camera gear with us, adding significant additional weight. These ruck marches help prepare the guys for what they will face downrange, and provides them knowledge on proper setup of their gear before operations, to avoid injury downrange. It’s also a great opportunity to get the team together and build camaraderie with a single goal of moving heavy gear to a set point.”
To prepare airmen to thrive in deployed situations members are required to carry ruck sacks simulating the experience of weighted equipment for extended periods of time while still focusing on mission completion. 1CTCS Airmen fill the squadrons deployment rotation to Afghanistan, Kuwait, and the Horn of Africa so they must maintain readiness at all times.
