CLIFTON, Maine - Soldiers from the Maine Army National Guard’s B Company, 3rd Battalion, 172nd Infantry Regiment (Mountain) practiced mountaineering, rappelling, knot tying and medical evacuation skills at Eagles Bluff, a cliff area in Maine with rock faces up to 200 feet in height.
The mountain infantry unit carries out a range of infantry missions, but is highly specialized to operate in mountainous environments. To stay proficient in mountaineering tasks, these infantrymen frequently travel to locations throughout New England, something many in the unit find rewarding.
“Rappelling is definitely, in my personal opinion, the best part,” said Staff Sgt. Garte Sosmena, a squad leader with the unit.
It also helps to build trust between unit members said Sosmena. The Soldiers rely on each other to safely scale the rock face. A wrong move or a hand that slips could have serious consequences. Soldiers on the ground — the belayers — are there to step in and control the downward descent should those climbing the rock walls slip.
“Having trust with each other, with the belayer, is definitely a key point for this,” said Sosmena, adding trust and confidence between Soldiers also leads to better unit cohesion and readiness.
Climbing these walls may seem intimidating for some, however Soldiers trained by the Army Mountain Warfare School in Jericho, Vermont, acted as safeties during the training.
“Safety is the biggest thing that we always try to stress because at any time something can happen,” said Spc. Ater Ater, a team leader with B Company. “This is something we have to constantly keep practicing so that we can hone those skills.”
That means better prepared Soldiers in the unit.
“By doing this, it prepares us for any situation because we’ll have muscle memory of what we’re supposed to be doing,” said Ater.
As winter approaches, training for the Soldiers in B Company does not slow down. Training continues at their home station, which is equipped with a full climbing wall with rappel tower.
“We do this type of training year round,” said Ater. “We definitely get plenty of practice using ropes and climbing.”