Return
to the "POINTER VIEW"April 26, 2002
Return
to the "POINTER VIEW"
April
26, 2002
The Germans are here! The Germans are here!
Actually, the Germans have been here practicing for three weeks.
No cause for alarm though, because two more of our allies -- the British and the Canadians, who have made competing in Sandhurst an annual pilgrimage, are here as well.
This year’s Bicentennial version of Sandhurst is bringing in some new teams that have caused the field to grow to 46.
"We had to turn away teams this year," said British Army Maj. Andrew Field, the Sandhurst Officer in Charge.
Thirty-nine teams competed last year.
Other new teams this year include academy teams from Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard.
There is even a cadet Bicentennial team this year.
Field said the cadet Bicentennial team was formed due to the cadet perception that every other school represented in the event puts together their best teams and that West Point should as well.
Each of the nine-person teams for the 32 cadet company teams must have at least one female and a representative from each academic year.
The teams compete for the Reginald E. Johnson Memorial Plaque, which is awarded to the highest-scoring team overall, and for the Sandhurst Trophy, which goes to the highest-scoring USMA regiment.
The aim of the Sandhurst competition, according to USCC Circular 350-19, "The Sandhurst Competition," is to provide the Corps of Cadets with a challenging and rewarding inter- company military skills competition, which will enhance leadership qualities, professional development and military excellence in selected soldier skills."
Squads are required to perform a series of military tasks while moving non-tactically, as rapidly as possible over a partly prescribed route of about 9 kilometers, in less than three hours, the pamphlet explained.
One change to the nine-site course this year is that Site 5 is now a simulated grenade range instead of weapons stripping.
Field said the Marksmanship site will be changed somewhat to compensate and will now involve a set time to build an M16A2 and then shoot.
Approximately 90 cadets will be running the sites, with oversight by U.S. Military Academy Department of Military Instruction personnel at all but the rappel site, where the officer in charge will be appropriately jumpmaster qualified, Field said.
The British Exchange Officer to West Point said that some of the changes were made after last year to more accurately represent soldier skills.
"We wanted to make the competition fun, yet physically demanding," he added.
Another change this year involves the location of the event Visitor’s Center. It will be located on the apron near MacArthur Statue and will offer Sandhurst 2002 T-shirts -- that incorporate the bicentennial logo -- for sale.
Start times for the 46 teams were drawn Thursday night and can be viewed by going to the Sandhurst 2002 Web site at: www.usma.edu/dmi/HQ/CLUBS/sandhurst1/Index.html.
The final site, the Commandant’s Challenge, will be revealed tonight at the final Sandhurst briefings.
Past challenges have included pushing a Humvee through an obstacle course, carrying a 400-pound inflatable boat and last year carrying a 13-foot telephone pole around the superintendent’s block.
The first team will start the course at 6:30 a.m., with successive teams leaving every 10 minutes afterwards. There will also be two 10-minute breaks built into the day’s schedule. The last team will begin at 2:20 p.m., Field said.
"We are encouraging everyone in the community to come out and cheer on our cadet teams," Field added.