Spc. David Montgomery, a Soldier with 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (LI), looks out at the summit during a ruck march during Warrior Alpine Readiness Week in the Adirondack Mountains near Lake Placid, New York, Oct. 3, 2023. Alpine readiness week was a weeklong training event to enhance Soldiers’ mountain warfare capabilities. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Samuel Bonney)
Left: Sgt. Steven Beaulieu, a Soldier with 1st Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, ascends a cliff during Warrior Alpine Readiness Week, Oct. 3, on Fort Drum, New York. Above: Spc. William Smith, a Soldier with 1-87 Infantry, descends a cliff, Oct. 3, on Fort Drum. (U.S. Army photos by Sgt. Jaidon Novinska)
Staff Sgt. Ryan Oherien instructs Soldiers how to properly secure a casualty on a Skedco during Warrior Alpine Readiness Week at the After Action Review Facility, Oct. 2, on Fort Drum. Warrior Alpine Readiness Week is an operation that develops a baseline of mountaineering and cold weather proficiency to continue to support the 10th Mountain Division Alpine Line of Effort. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Salvador Castro)
10th Mountain Division Soldiers strengthen
alpine abilities during WAR Week at Fort Drum
Sgt. Jaidon Novinska
27th Public Affairs Detachment
FORT DRUM, N.Y. (Oct. 5, 2023) – Soldiers from units across the 10th Mountain Division (LI) participated in Warrior Alpine Readiness (WAR) Week, Oct. 2-5, on Fort Drum.
During WAR Week, Soldiers focused on mountaineering and cold weather survival skills that enhanced the 10th Mountain Division’s ability to conduct team-, section-, and crew-level training in an alpine environment.
The week consisted of rappelling, medical training, cold weather survivability skills, winterization training, rucking in the Adirondack Mountains, and an alpine skills competition.
Sgt. 1st Class Dave Bannis, noncommissioned officer in charge of the winterization training, spoke about the importance of winter and alpine survivability.
“This week is important because Fort Drum is a winter-heavy base,” Bannis said.
“Soldiers need to know how to put snow chains on tires, set up arctic tents, and survive in alpine environments.”
The 10th Mountain Division’s continuous training with operations such as WAR Week allows Soldiers to consistently improve their cold weather survival and mountaineering skills.
Spc. Maria Rojas, a Soldier with 1st Brigade Combat Team, spoke about the opportunity to be a part of WAR Week.
“This experience was definitely interesting and exciting,” Rojas said. “I’m more confident about myself and as a team member.”
The final event, an alpine skills competition, started with a three-mile run, followed by rappelling, casualty assessment, a Skedco sled pull, and attaching snow chains to a humvee.
Sgt. Thomas Rahn, a Soldier with 7th Brigade Engineer Battalion, expressed his eagerness to test his team’s skills at the final event.
“We’re definitely ready to test out the skills we’ve learned throughout the week,” Rahn said.
“There’s been a lot of improvement with each area and the camaraderie between the Soldiers.”
Second Lt. Geoffrey Winslow, a Soldier with the 1st Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, spoke about the outcome of the weeklong operation.
“The operation had good training, there was a lot of rappelling and ascension of cliffs,” Winslow said.
“It’s something that will greatly increase our mobility and lethality on the modern battlefield, while also returning to the 10th Mountain Division’s roots.”