Sports

Shock N’ Rock was a real tough mudder

August 15, 2013
Story and photos by Ignacio “Iggy” Rubalcava
U.S. Army Garrison Baumholder Public Affairs
A team pushes a HUMVEE to the finish line. The HUMVEE push was the last obstacle of the competition and one of the most difficult.
A team pushes a HUMVEE to the finish line. The HUMVEE push was the last obstacle of the competition and one of the most difficult.

There was enough mud for all of the more than 400 participants at this year’s Shock N’ Rock Reloaded motivational mud run Aug. 8 on Baumholder’s Military Training Area.

This is the second year that the German military and the U.S. Army Garrison Baumholder have held this event and, if last year’s participation compared to this year’s has any influence in its future, this event is only going to get better.

A contestant battles his way through one of the tire obstacles on the course.
A contestant battles his way through one of the tire obstacles on the course.

“Last year we had 15 teams, five people per team. This year we had to cut off registration at 90 teams. So there was a huge increase.” said Lt. Col. Mike Sullivan, USAG Baumholder commander.

German 1st Lt. Roman Imschweiler, event coordinator for the German military, pointed out that participants included Soldiers from around Baumholder, Ramstein Airmen, German soldiers from Saarlouis, and one team from Belgium.

“I never really expected that number of participants. It’s overwhelming. I’m happy to be here, and I would like to say thanks to the USAG Baumholder for their great support. It is absolutely outstanding, and I’m looking forward to next year,” said Imschweiler. The idea was born last year when Imschweiler and another lieutenant from Lager Aulenbach decided to have a barbecue with their friends from U.S. Range Control.

German soldiers use a cable to carefully slide over a water obstacle without falling in. Regardless if you made it across or not, dismounting from the cable meant a splash in the water.
German soldiers use a cable to carefully slide over a water obstacle without falling in. Regardless if you made it across or not, dismounting from the cable meant a splash in the water.

Lager Aulenbach controls the Military Training Area. The event morphed from a German/American party with music and sports to an all-out event with participants from throughout Germany being invited for a day of camaraderie and fun and eventually to what it was this year, a flat out mud run for anyone who wanted to get a little wet and dirty.

“Obviously there is a great interest in these type of events. It’s a great way to show people what we have to offer here in the Baumholder military community.

One of the things we’re going to look at next year is, maybe we’ll make this a two-day event so we can have more folks participate,” said Sullivan. A DJ entertained the crowd after the awards ceremony, and the day’s activities continued with a barbecue and music by the U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces Africa band “Touch and Go.”

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