Ministry of National Defense Republic of Korea

Nineteen officers of the Capital Mechanized Infantry Division(CAP MECCINFDIV) earned Spur Ride certificates, the U.S. special warrior certification, and demonstrated the superiority of the Korean Army.

The Spur Ride measures personnel competence and patience, physical strength and combined operations in three dimensions, as an honorable test continuing the tradition of horse riding units playing an active part during the westward expansion.

Korea-U.S. combined combat firing practice held last October for Armed Forces Day brought the CAP MECCINFDIV and the U.S. 1st brigade, 2nd Division, together, so that Korean and American officers could take this certification test. It was attended by 200 U.S. soldiers from the 4-7 armored unit, 1st brigade, the 2nd Division, and 20 Korean officers from the CAP MECCINFDIV and was held for two days beginning on April 1. They marched in full gear at 6 a.m. with the aim of finishing a 12-mile(21.6 km) march in three hours.

They were in mixed groups of four to six and took hard tests such as overcoming obstacles, CBR, map reading, firearm disassembling and its reassembly, etc., while facing a harsh, all-night schedule continuing to the next morning. Korean officers who participated in the certification test ranked first and second in the rapid march area, besting 220 other participants and receiving a lot of praise from the U.S. soldiers. 

By Ah-Mi, Cho <joajoa@dema.mil.kr>

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